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The death of the 39th chief executive was announced by the Carter Center.
He died Sunday afternoon, Dec. 29 at his residence in his lifelong hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he was born in October 1924.
James Earl Carter Jr., was the first ex-president to reach the age of 100.
Carter, then the Democratic governor of Georgia who had worked as a peanut farmer, defeated Gerald Ford in the 1976 race, the first presidential election after Richard Nixon's resignation in August 1974 following the Watergate affair.
Carter was denied in his re-election bid when he lost to Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election.
He established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights two years later. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in relation to it.
Carter's wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023, at age 96. They had been married for more than 77 years. Carter's final public appearance was at her funeral in Plains. He sat in the front row in a wheelchair.
He is survived by his children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter in a statement released late Sunday afternoon. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs.
"The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
His presidency ended with a 444-day hostage crisis that began in November 1979, when Iranian students seized control of the US embassy in Tehran and detained more than 50 Americans.
Carter's term was highlighted by the Camp David Accords, which he signed with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in September 1978, establishing a framework for a historic peace treaty.
Carter's funeral, at a date not yet announced, will be the first for a former commander-in-chief since since that of George Herbert Walker Bush in 2018.
There will be public observances in Atlanta and Washington, DC, followed by a private interment in Plains, the Carter Center announced.
The Carter Center said it will provide updates about "ceremonies and activities to honor the life of President Carter as they become available on the official Carter Family Tribute Site at jimmycartertribute.org.
The Carter family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Carter Center, 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA 30307.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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