James Earl Carter Jr., known as Jimmy Carter, was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, to James Earl Carter Sr., a successful farmer, businessman, and local political figure, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse, he grew up during the Great Depression on his family's peanut farm. Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology before graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. He served seven years in the U.S. Navy, specializing in the nuclear submarine program, before returning to manage the family business. In 1946, he married Rosalynn Smith, with whom he had four children. A devout Southern Baptist, Carter taught Sunday school for much of his adult life and emphasized the separation of church and state.

Entering politics in the 1960s, Carter served in the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967, championing civil rights and desegregation. He was elected Governor of Georgia in 1970, where he implemented reforms in education, mental health, and government efficiency, and ended racial discrimination in state hiring. Rising as a Washington outsider, Carter secured the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976, campaigning on honesty and human rights. As president, he focused on human rights and economic stabilization amidst challenges including stagflation, the energy crisis, and the Iran hostage crisis. He established the Department of Energy, deregulated several industries, appointed Paul Volcker as Federal Reserve Chairman to combat inflation, and is best known for brokering the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978, which laid a foundation for Middle East peace. His Middle East policies attracted both praise and criticism. He was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980.

After leaving office, Carter founded the Carter Center in 1982 to promote human rights, democracy, and disease eradication, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He and Rosalynn devoted decades to Habitat for Humanity, building homes for the underprivileged. Carter authored over 30 books on topics including faith, foreign policy, and Israeli-Palestinian issues, sometimes offering controversial critiques. Remaining active in global diplomacy and election monitoring, his later years included cancer treatment in 2015. He lived to age 100, becoming the longest-lived U.S. president, and passed away on December 29, 2024, in Plains, Georgia. Jimmy Carter is remembered as a humanitarian statesman and American politician notable both for his presidency and extensive post-presidential humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.