Carter: President, global mediator, Nobel laureate

Jimmy Carter held a unique place in US politics: he was the oldest former president and a Nobel peace laureate, but his one term in office was forever tainted by his inability to end the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

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Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100, arguably wielded his greatest influence not during his 1977-1981 term in the White House, but in the decades following, when he served as a global mediator, rights activist and elder statesman.

The Southern Democrat, who left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January 1981 after a crushing election loss to Ronald Reagan, was perceived as naive and weak in the dog-eat-dog world of Washington politics.

Even within his own party, the Georgia native with the broad toothy grin -- a "born-again" Christian who taught Sunday school well into his 90s -- was something of a persona non grata for a long time.

But as the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged, one that took in his post-presidential activities and reassessed his achievements, like the brokering of a peace deal between Israel and Egypt.

He placed a commitment to human rights and social justice at the core of his tenure as the 39th president of the United States.