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Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

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James Earl Carter Jr was born October 1, 1924. He's pictured here aged 13 with his dog, Bozo. He was the eldest son of Bessie Lillian (née Gordy) and James Earl Carter Sr, who ran a general store.

▲In 1963, he became a Georgia State Senator, a seat he held until 1967. He returned briefly to his agriculture business while planning his campaign to become Governor of Georgia.

▲He was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Georgia on January 12, 1971. Increasingly vocal on issues about racial discrimination and social injustice, Carter was dubbed a progressive "New South" governor by Time magazine.

▲Pictured with his wife Rosalynn and their family at the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City in July 1976.

▲During the Democratic National Convention in 1976, Carter announced that he had chosen Walter Mondale as his running mate.

▲Carter holds an informal press conference aboard his plane on a campaign trip on September 11, 1976.

▲The Democratic presidential hopeful speaking to a crowd at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1976.

▲Carter and President Gerald Ford facing off at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, one of three televised debates the pair conducted in the run-up to the presidential election.

▲Carter enjoyed a distinguished career in the US Navy before returning to civilian life and helping to expand the family's peanut-growing business.

▲The candidate from Georgia speaks on stage with a "Let Us Pull Together" banner as his 1976 national campaign gathers momentum.

▲Ineligible to run for re-election as governor in 1975, Carter began eyeing up an even bigger prize: the presidency. In December 1974, he announced his candidacy for President of the United States.

▲Democrat Jimmy Carter is sworn in by chief justice Earl Burger as the 39th President of the United States in Washington, D.C., this on January 20, 1977.

▲All smiles as the new president takes his place at the White House.

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The meeting in 1979 with Deng Xiaoping, deputy premier of China, saw both men sign historic new accords that reversed decades of animosity between the two countries and ultimately led to the US granting full diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China.

▲The secret negotiations held at Camp David in 1978 resulted in the Camp David Accords, a framework agreement for peace in the Middle East and a framework agreement for the conclusion of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

▲The hard-won agreements were signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the White House and witnessed by the President Carter. They led directly to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty and to Egypt becoming the first Arab state to officially recognize Israel.

▲In September 1977, President Carter signed two treaties guaranteeing the relinquishing of control by the US over the Panama Canal by 1999.

▲In June 1979, President Carter and Russian President Leonid Brezhnev met at the US embassy in Vienna to begin Salt-II disarmament talks.

▲The Airline Deregulation Act was signed into law by President Carter in 1978. This effectively removed government control over fares and routes, and opened up the commercial aviation market.

▲President Carter, British Prime Minister James Callaghan (left), and Chancellor of West Germany Helmut Schmidt (right) outside 10 Downing Street in London.

▲In the turmoil that followed, 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage during the siege of the US embassy in Tehran. In an attempt to end the crisis, President Carter ordered a rescue mission. However, the operation failed after the aircraft carrying US forces crashed in the desert, killing eight servicemen.

▲President Carter was active in his efforts to calm various conflicts around the world, especially in the Middle East. He is pictured here in 1977 with King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran and his wife. The Shah was overthrown in 1979 during Iran's Islamic Revolution.

▲Carter's 1980 re-election campaign was fought under the shadow of the Iran debacle and a stagnant economy. His opponent, Ronald Reagan, appealed to an electorate looking for a fresh start. Reagan won by a landslide.

▲A prolific author since leaving office, Carter wrote dozens of books. Here he holds up a copy of his latest book, 'Faith: A Journey for All,' at a book signing event in New York City in 2018.

▲The archive houses Carter's papers, documents, and other material relating to his administration and family life. The library was opened on October 1, 1986: his birthday.

▲Since leaving office, Carter traveled the globe advocating social reform and helping to improve the quality of life for people in more than 80 countries. Pictured: Carter with former First Lady Rosalynn Carter after they received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the Carter Center in 1999.

▲A nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization, the Atlanta-based Carter Center's aim is to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering. The building stands adjacent to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.

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Carter with President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on August 28, 2013: the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

▲Carter delivers a 2016 lecture on the eradication of the Guinea worm. The lecture was given at the House of Lords in London on behalf of the Carter Center, which is also active in furthering disease eradication efforts.

▲The former US President attends the 'Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease' preview press conference at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in 2015.

▲The treaty was signed at Vienna's Hofburg Palace. Six months later, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The treaty was never ratified by the United States Senate.

▲In 2007, he announced his participation in The Elders, an independent council of retired world figures. Pictured is the former president holding a Palestinian baby girl during a 2010 visit to the Elders Delegation in the Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

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His presidency aside, Carter's peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts after he left office made him one of the most successful and respected former presidents in American history.

▲In 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize, one of many accolades bestowed upon the former president (awards that include the United Nations Human Rights Prize, and the Hoover Medal).

▲President Carter meets Queen Elizabeth II.

▲President Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin join hands in celebration of the signing of the Treaty at the White House in Washington, D.C. on March 26, 1979.

▲An avid sports fan, the former president and his wife Rosalynn speak with head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on September 30, 2018.

▲The old train depot in Plains, Georgia served as Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign headquarters in 1976. It's now a museum.

▲It didn't take long for the political satirists to get in on the act. Pictured: Bill Murray (left) as Walter Cronkite and Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter during the 'Ask President Carter' skit, this on March 12, 1977.

▲The former president answers questions from first-year Emory University students in Atlanta, this on September 12, 2018 during his annual Carter Town Hall.

▲Five former US presidents—Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama— attend a concert at Texas A&M University benefiting hurricane relief efforts in College Station, Texas on October 21, 2017.

▲A giant peanut on Buena Vista Road replete with Jimmy Carter's smile greets visitors to Plains, Georgia.

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Carter is seen with former US presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, and current White House incumbent Donald Trump and their wives at the state funeral of President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral on December 5, 2018.

▲An ambulance is seen outside Atlanta's Emory University Hospital, where Carter was taken for treatment on November 12, 2019. The former president was hospitalized for a procedure to relieve pressure on his brain, caused by bleeding due to recent falls. The surgery was successful, but concern surrounded the fragility of the elderly statesman.

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Carter retired briefly from public life before founding the Carter Center in 1982. Always physically active, his hobbies included swimming, cycling, and tennis.

▲Former President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on October 1, marking a century of remarkable service. From his presidency to his humanitarian work with Habitat for Humanity, Carter left an indelible impact on the world.

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, was the longest-living US president. He died on December 29, 2024.

Carter served one term, losing his re-election bid to Ronald Reagan in 1981, but his decades of post-presidency work through the Carter Center have greatly advanced conflict resolution, disease prevention, and free elections worldwide.

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son, in a statement.

Since leaving the presidency in 1981, the man from Plains, Georgia, traveled widely as a global humanitarian. In 2002, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting economic and social development for people in more than 80 countries.

Browse this gallery for a nostalgic look back at Carter's early life, his time in office, and his work and achievements post-presidency.