The Carter Center — which he and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, established in 1982 — announced it would hold a weeklong virtual celebration for the former president.
"As the longest-living president in U.S. history, President Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life of service that deserves worldwide celebration," said Paige Alexander, the center's chief executive officer. "Whether here in Georgia or in hard-to-reach regions around the world, millions of people have benefited from President Carter's commitment to making the world a better place."
Happy #98thBirthday Jimmy Carter🎂🎉! Born #OTD in 1924, President Carter is a peanut farmer turned politician & then worldwide humanitarian. A man of the people, he's dedicated his life to #humanrights & democracy. To celebrate, share a birthday message: //t.co/kV0rOCcRT0 pic.twitter.com/FE4mt7rLu9
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) October 1, 2022
Carter, who served as the 76th governor of Georgia before becoming the 39th president, has written 30 books, taught classes at the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains, and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since leaving the White House, according to the center.
In recent years, however, the former president has kept a low profile. He survived a cancer diagnosis in 2015 and underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by a subdural hematoma back in 2019.
Rosalynn Carter celebrated her 95th birthday back in August.
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Tre'Vaughn Howard
Tre'Vaughn Howard is a producer and journalist for CBS News, focusing on international and culture stories.
Born in 1924, the 39th president of the United States is just two years shy of reaching the 100-year-old milestone.
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Along with being the oldest living president, Carter is also the longest-lived.
The late George H. W. Bush, the 41st president, held both titles before dying at 94 years old in 2018.
In 2002, Carter, a Democrat from Georgia, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, celebrated her 95th birthday in August. She is the second-longest-lived former first lady, behind only Bess Truman, who died at 97 years old.
The couple also celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary in July. The two are the longest-married presidential couple of all time. They originally married on July 7, 1946.
Over the course of President Joe Biden's term, he's drawn several comparisons to Carter. As his administration weathers foreign policy disasters and a dwindling economy, critics are zeroing in on the comparison.
The chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021 caused many to recall Carter's Iranian hostage crisis.
Now, as inflationary pressure mounts, the resemblance is strengthened. Inflation soared to 9.1% in July, its highest level since Carter's presidency. Under Carter, inflation reached 14.6%. Some analysts say this led to his unequivocal defeat in the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan.
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Analysts predict that inflation will similarly be front and center ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.