Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter
Official portrait, 1978
39th President of the United States
In office 20 January 1977 – 20 January 1981
Vice President	Walter Mondale
Preceded by	Gerald Ford
Succeeded by	Ronald Reagan
76th Governor of Georgia
In office 12 January 1971 – 14 January 1975
Lieutenant	Lester Maddox
Preceded by	Lester Maddox
Succeeded by	George Busbee
Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 14th district
In office 14 January 1963 – 9 January 1967
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Hugh Carter
Personal details
Born	James Earl Carter Jr. 01 October 1924 Plains, Georgia, U.S.
Died	29 December 2024 Plains, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Rosalynn Smith ​ ( m. 1946; died 2023)
Children	4, including Jack and Amy
Parent(s)	James Earl Carter Sr. Bessie Lillian Gordy
Relatives	Carter family
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS)
Civilian awards	Full list
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1946–1953 (active) 1953–1961 (reserve)
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II
Military awards	American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal China Service Medal National Defense Service Medal

James Earl Carter Jr., born on October 1, 1924, and passing away on December 29, 2024, was the 39th President of the United States of America, serving from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously held roles as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Carter became the longest-living U.S. president and was the first to reach the age of 100.

James Carter was born and raised in Plains, Georgia. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served in the Navy's submarine service. After his military career, he returned home to run his family's peanut farm. Carter opposed racial segregation and actively supported the civil rights movement. He became a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and served in the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967. Later, he was the Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Despite being a lesser-known candidate outside Georgia, Carter won the Democratic nomination and narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican President, Gerald Ford, in the 1976 presidential election.