Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 marking a historic milestone as the first US president to reach a century. Carter, who served from 1977 to 1981, has been in hospice care for the past 19 months in his home state of Georgia but remains emotionally engaged and politically minded.
“He’s still having experiences, laughing, loving,” Carter’s grandson, Jason, shared in September, adding that despite his health challenges, the former president remains optimistic. In a moment of humor and determination, Carter revealed his current political ambition. “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” he said, as quoted by his grandson.
To commemorate the occasion, Habitat for Humanity—an organization Carter has supported for four decades—launched an initiative to build 30 homes in Minnesota this week. In Plains, Georgia, Carter’s hometown, special celebrations include a military jet flyover and the naturalization of 100 new US citizens in his honor.
Carter’s centennial follows a star-studded concert in Atlanta earlier this month, which raised over $1.2 million for The Carter Center. “It was an incredible evening, full of good music and heartfelt tributes, and it made history as the first-ever 100th birthday celebration for a living American president,” Carter said in a statement. The concert featured performances from various artists and recorded messages from past US presidents and will air on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Carter, though unable to attend the concert, will be watching the broadcast with his family. His grandson, Josh Carter, expressed gratitude for the time they’ve had with him, calling it “a gift” that extended beyond their expectations after Carter first entered hospice care in early 2023.
Barbara Pearce, CEO of Connecticut Hospice, praised Carter for raising awareness of the value of hospice care. “He’s given everybody permission to consider hospice as a reasonable option that doesn’t shorten their life but increases their comfort and fulfillment,” she said.
Despite his retirement from public life, Carter’s legacy of humanitarian work and public service continues to resonate as he reaches this incredible milestone.
