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On Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday, a look through the decades: The Picture Show: NPR

Former President Jimmy Carter speaks to the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, in April 2019. After leaving the White House in 1981, he regularly taught Sunday school at the church, drawing hundreds of visitors who arrived hours early to get a seat.

Former President Jimmy Carter speaks to the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, in April 2019. After leaving the White House in 1981, he regularly taught Sunday school at the church, drawing hundreds of visitors who arrived hours early to get a seat.

Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images


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Jimmy Carter is 100 years old.

The 39th president, who has been in home hospice care since February of last year, received birthday wishes from many, including President Biden, as well as a parade in his honor in his birthplace of Plains, Georgia. A star-studded celebration of Carter's birthday was held in Atlanta in September.

Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, told Georgia Public Broadcasting that the former president is limited in his daily activities, “but he is still emotionally active and paying attention to the world and having experiences that … continue to be rewarding.”

Carter is the longest-living US president. To mark the occasion, NPR collected photos of notable events from his life and presidency.

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (from left), Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat begin their second day of peace talks at Camp David, Maryland, in September 1978. The secret meetings at the presidential retreat led to the Camp David Accords, which created a framework for peace between Egypt and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (from left), Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat begin their second day of peace talks at Camp David, Maryland, in September 1978. The secret meetings at the presidential retreat led to the Camp David Accords, which created a framework for peace between Egypt and Israel.

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Sadat (from left), Carter and Begin join hands in front of the White House on March 26, 1979, as they completed the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in Washington. Carter's efforts were the first major push by a modern U.S. president to promote peace in the Middle East.

Sadat (from left), Carter and Begin join hands in front of the White House on March 26, 1979, as they completed the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in Washington. Carter's efforts were the first major push by a modern U.S. president to promote peace in the Middle East.

Bob Daugherty/AP


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US President Jimmy Carter speaks in front of solar panels on the roof of the West Wing of the White House and announces his solar energy policy, Washington, DC, USA, Warren K. Leffler, June 20, 1979. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

President Jimmy Carter speaks in front of solar panels on the roof of the West Wing of the White House on June 20, 1979. When the United States faced an energy crisis in the 1970s, Carter urged Americans to conserve energy and expand the use of solar power.

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images


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(Original Caption) April 1, 1980 - Washington, DC - President Carter, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, said that the Iranian government's decision to take custody of the American hostages

Carter speaks to reporters in the Oval Office in April 1980 about the Iran hostage crisis. In November 1979, student militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held more than 50 staff hostage for 444 days. The crisis dominated the headlines and led to Carter's defeat in the 1980 election.

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MONROVIA, LIBERIA - OCTOBER 11: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter leaves a polling station in Monrovia, Liberia on October 11, 2005. The Carter Center, founded by Carter to promote peace initiatives and health issues worldwide, is in Liberia to monitor the election along with the National Democratic Institute. Liberia, wracked by 13 years of bitter civil war and two years of uncertain peace, held internationally monitored elections on October 11, a landmark achievement after two years of United Nations military occupation. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Carter leaves a polling station in Monrovia, Liberia, in October 2005. Founded in 1982 by Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, the Carter Center monitors elections around the world to promote fair and free elections.

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MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L) takes notes while listening to a translator during his election observation visit in Maputo, Mozambique, December 2, 2004. Mozambique's long-serving President Joaquim Chissano expressed surprise on Thursday at the dismal turnout in the election of his successor, blaming the poor performance on widespread illiteracy and ignorance of political systems. AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI (Image credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)

Carter takes notes while listening to a translator during an election observation visit to Maputo, Mozambique in December 2004. The Carter Center says it has monitored 125 elections in 40 countries as of August 2024.

Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images


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Former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter work at a Habitat for Humanity site in Atlanta, building homes for working poor people.

Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter work at a Habitat for Humanity site in Atlanta in 1988, building homes for needy people. They volunteered for the organization one week a year for more than 35 years.

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Carter participates in a Habitat for Humanity project in Washington, D.C. in October 2010

Carter participates in a Habitat for Humanity project in Washington, D.C. in October 2010

Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images


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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Plains, Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia in November 2019. He taught Sunday school regularly at the church for decades.

John Amis/AP


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Jimmy Carter hugs his wife Rosalynn at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta in September 1966, when he was a Georgia state senator and running for governor. They were married for 77 years. She died in November.

Jimmy Carter hugs his wife Rosalynn at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta in September 1966, when he was a Georgia state senator and running for governor. They were married for 77 years. She died in November. “Rosalynn has been my equal partner in everything I have ever achieved,” he wrote in a statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it.”

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