The former US president Jimmy Carter dies at 100

James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr, a naval officer, Nobel Peace Prize winner and peanut farm operator who became governor of Georgia and later the 39th president of the United States, has died.

- ARIANA BAIO and ANDREW FEINBERG

Carter, who was the longest-living former US president, died at the age of 100 on Sunday, 29 December, his son announced. An immediate cause was not given.

He served as president for one term from 1977 to 1981, but is just as well-known for his humanitarian service after leaving Washington DC, working for Habitat for Humanity and negotiating peace deals.

“Earlier in my life, I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see – the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are,” Carter said.

He continued his volunteer work for decades after leaving office until he entered hospice care in February 2023.

Carter, who throughout his political life went by Jimmy rather than James, was a towering figure in Democratic politics, both during and after his time in the White House. As president, he emphasised human rights in his foreign policy, championed environmentalism at a time when it was not yet popular and appointed record numbers of women and people of colour during his administration.

However, he was considered a “failure” by some as president, a view Carter believed was attributed to him because he only served one term. But, he continued to serve the public after leaving office – including building homes for the poor through Habitat for Humanity.

“In all of our lives, there are usually a few precious moments when we feel exalted – that is, when we reach above our normal level of existence to a higher plane of excitement and achievement,” Carter said in 2009.