Jimmy Carter has died at age 100. Carter was the 39th president of the United States. 

James Earl Carter, Jr., was born in Georgia in 1924. He grew up on his family’s farm. In 1946, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. That same year, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Carter was in the U.S. Navy for seven years. But when his father died in 1953, he and Rosalynn went back to Georgia. There, they ran the family farm. 

In 1971, Carter was elected governor of Georgia. As governor, he spoke out about racism and laws that were unfair to Black Americans. This was at a time when many white leaders said nothing about racism.

Carter was elected president in 1976. President Carter cared about the environment. He worked to get funding (money) to develop solar and wind energy. These forms of energy were not widely used at the time. Carter also cared about human rights—the rights to basic needs like education, health, and fair treatment. Carter spoke out against governments that stopped people from being able to have these things. Carter worked for peace, too. He helped work out a treaty (agreement) between Israel and Egypt, two countries that were part of a disagreement over land. 

Because of problems such as high gas prices, Carter was not elected to a second term as president.

After leaving the White House, Carter worked for causes that were important to him. He worked with a group called Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for people who cannot afford them. Both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter helped build many of these homes. 

“To have a…place to live is a basic human right,” Carter said in a 2017 interview with Bloomberg.com.  

Carter also traveled around the world. He helped to work out disagreements between nations. He also worked to make sure elections were carried out fairly. 

Leaders from around the world paid tribute to President Carter after his death. 

“To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning—the good life—study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people—decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”

Click through the slideshow below for highlights from President Carter’s remarkable life.