The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer, has died at the age of 100.
A report by FOX News said Carter’s death was announced by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday, several months after he entered hospice care in February 2023.
The former President’s passing follows that of his wife, Rosalynn, who died on 19 November 2023 at the age of 96.
The soft-spoken Georgian, known for his distinctive drawl, faced significant challenges during his single term in office, including domestic economic difficulties and the Iranian hostage crisis abroad.
Following his presidency, Carter committed himself to a life of service but occasionally attracted controversy for his involvement in foreign affairs, particularly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He met with Hamas leaders in 2009 and 2015 and openly criticised Israel’s military actions against Hamas in 2014, stating, “There is no justification in the world for what Israel is doing.”
Born James Earl Carter Jr. in 1924 in Plains, Georgia, Carter’s rural upbringing on his father’s farm instilled in him a lifelong respect for the land and its workers.
However, he sought a different path, attending the U.S. Naval Academy and serving as a submariner in the post-World War II Navy, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant.
The former president endured health challenges for many years, including liver cancer, diagnosed in 2015, which had metastasised throughout his body.
His survival defied expectations, despite a family history of cancer; his father, brother, and two sisters all succumbed to pancreatic cancer, while his mother’s battle with breast cancer eventually led to the same fate.
In May, Jason Carter, his grandson, revealed that the former president was nearing the end of life’s journey, yet Jimmy Carter continued to endure.