Ninety-nine ways to celebrate Jimmy Carter

Former president turns 99 years old on Sunday.
Jimmy Carter turns 99 on Oct. 1, 2023. It is his first birthday celebration since publicly announcing earlier this year that he has entered home hospice care. (File photo)

Credit: File photo

Credit: File photo

Jimmy Carter turns 99 on Oct. 1, 2023. It is his first birthday celebration since publicly announcing earlier this year that he has entered home hospice care. (File photo)

As he has done in recent years, Jimmy Carter will celebrate his birthday quietly in Georgia.

The naval officer turned peanut farmer, turned governor, turned president, turned Nobel Peace Prize winner will mark his 99th birthday Sunday in his small, rural hometown of Plains.

Carter, the longest-living president in American history, began home hospice care in February. In May the family announced that Rosalynn Carter, his wife, has dementia. The couple has lived in the same ranch house since 1961, save for their years in the governor’s mansion and White House.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has compiled 99 ways to remember and celebrate Georgia’s favorite son.

No. 1

Read about Jimmy Carter’s biggest accomplishments (2019)

No. 2

Relive Carter’s early political career with this photo gallery (up to 1974)

No. 3

Watch a video of some of the most memorable political cartoons from Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign (2021)

President Jimmy Carter shakes hands as he arrives at a birthday party for his wife Rosalynn in 2015 in Plains. (Ben Gray / bgray@ajc.com)

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No. 4

Why so many who have met Carter consider him “the people’s president” (2019)

No. 5

Relive the moment when Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (2002)

No. 6

Celebrate the Carters’ 77 years of marriage and relive their big 75th anniversary celebrations. (2021)

No. 7

Watch the Carters receive a lifetime achievement award from Gates Foundation. (2023)

No. 8

Learn how Carter was instrumental in creating the modern refugee resettlement program. (2023)

No. 9

Relive Carter’s three Grammy Awards, his third for the audiobook “Faith: A Journey for All.” (2019)

No. 10

Learn about one of Carter’s final public acts before entering hospice care — convincing President Biden to withdraw from a deal to pave a road through the Alaskan wildlife refuge. (2023)

No. 11

Watch the Carters sing “Amazing Grace” with Willie Nelson in concert (2018)

President Jimmy Carter kisses his wife Rosalynn on the "Kiss Cam" during Braves game at Turner Field in 2015. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Credit: John Bazemore

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Credit: John Bazemore

No. 12

Jimmy and Rosalynn get caught on the Braves' “kiss cam” (2015)

No. 13

Remember the time “Carter for cancer survivor” yard signs covered Plains (2019)

No. 14

He held an anti-racism summit to heal rifts in Baptist churches (2016)

No. 15

Watch the Carters surprise Plains with a Peanut Festival cameo. (2023)

No. 16

The story of how the Carter Presidential Center opened (1986)

No. 17

Read about how the Carters’ Plains neighbors reacted to the news of Jimmy’s entry into home hospice care. (2023)

No. 18

Celebrating 35 years of the Carters building homes for Habitat for Humanity (2018)

No. 19

Watch the documentary “Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President” (2020)

No. 20

Plains became a National Historic Site (1985)

No. 21

Carter returned to teaching Sunday school after his brain surgery (2019)

Jill Stuckey places "Jimmy Carter for Cancer Survivor" signs in downtown Plains in 2015. (Ben Gray / bgray@ajc.com)

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No. 22

Carter called on the nation to address police brutality (2020)

No. 23

Carter first marked Women’s History Week (later Month) (1980)

No. 24

The time Carter helped give Gregg Allman an honorary degree (2016)

No. 25

When Carter won an award from former political rival Gerald Ford’s foundation (2017)

No. 26

Carter returned to work fighting Guinea worm disease (2017)

No. 27

Read a preview of the comic book “Political Power: Jimmy Carter” (2021)

No. 28

Carter called for the expansion of vote-by-mail access (2020)

No. 29

Remembering Jimmy Carter’s early years growing up in Plains, Ga. (up to 1952)

Guests line up to attend Sunday school — and to meet Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter — at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains in 2019. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Credit: John Amis / AP

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Credit: John Amis / AP

No. 30

Attend Sunday school with Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church (2018)

No. 31

Jimmy and Rosalynn joined David Letterman to build Habitat homes in Indiana (2018)

No. 32

Carter was honored for appointing women, African-Americans to the federal bench (2019)

No. 33

A story about Carter shaking everyone’s hands on a (pre-pandemic) flight (2017)

No. 34

Carter presented Bob Dylan with a MusiCares award (2015)

No. 35

Read the recent Carter biography by Jonathan Alter (2020)

No. 36

The AJC followed the Carters on a visit to the aquarium and botanical gardens (2019)

No. 37

There was that time Carter said he got tenure at Emory “after 33 books” (2019)

No. 38

Relive memories of Carter’s inauguration (1977)

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue after his inauguration in 1977.

Credit: Uncredited

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Credit: Uncredited

No. 39

Relive Carter’s presidential years, in photos (2020)

No. 40

The time Carter joked that he might run for president in 2020 (2018)

No. 41

Carter urged the U.S. to become great again by embracing human rights (2018)

No. 42

A class of students created raps about Jimmy Carter (2020)

No. 43

Carter became a National Park Service honorary park ranger (2018)

No. 44

When Carter became the oldest living former president (2019)

No. 45

A behind-the-scenes look at Carter preparing for Sunday school (2014)

No. 46

Georgians share their stories of meeting President Carter (2019)

No. 47

Carter explains how the Allman Brothers “put me in the White House” (2016)

President Jimmy Carter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Gregg Allman embrace while Allman receives an honorary degree at Mercer University in 2016. (JASON VORHEES/THE MACON TELEGRAPH VIA AP)

Credit: Jason Vorhees

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Credit: Jason Vorhees

No. 48

Learn the untold story of Jimmy Carter, his best friend and a murder charge. (2023)

No. 49

He warned the U.S. to not abandon human rights (2016)

No. 50

Remembering Jimmy’s mother Lillian Gordy Carter (2019)

No. 51

Carter’s alma mater dedicated a plaza to him (2017)

No. 52

Relive the night that Carter won the presidency (1976)

No. 53

The Carters spoke virtually to the Democratic National Convention (2020)

No. 54

The story behind the smiling peanut roadside attraction in Plains (2019)

No. 55

Playboy magazine interviewed Carter about lust and other subjects (1976)

No. 56

Plan your visit to the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains (2019)

President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter raise a wall as they help build a Habitat for Humanity house in Violet, Louisiana, in 2007. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Credit: Alex Brandon

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Credit: Alex Brandon

No. 57

The Carters joined Paula Deen for a painting lesson (2019)

No. 58

When the Carters led the July 4 parade down Peachtree Street (1981)

No. 59

The Carters get caught on the “kiss cam” at a Hawks game (2019)

No. 60

Hear Jimmy Carter discuss his proudest moments (2018)

No. 61

Get to know Jimmy Carter’s other family members (2017)

No. 62

The time Carter learned the Civil War history of the Carter Center site (2018)

Carter Center missions have sent Jimmy and Rosalynn Carte around the world for almost 35 years, such as this trip to observe elections in Indonesia in 1999. (The Carter Center)

Credit: TCC

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Credit: TCC

No. 63

Carter had hip surgery and recovered (2019)

No. 64

The Carters helped build 150 Habitat homes in Canada (2017)

No. 65

Relive Carter’s former birthday parties: His 90th birthday celebration at the Carter Center and in Plains (2014) | Carter turns 93 (2017) | Carter turns 95 (2019) | Turning 96th with a drive-by parade celebration in Plains (2020) | Carter turns 98 (2022)

No. 66

Watch Mike Luckovich talk about his popular Carters’ 75th-anniversary cartoon. (2021)

No. 67

A bill inspired by Carter’s cancer treatment became law (2016)

No. 68

A painting by Carter fetched more than a half-million dollars at a fundraiser (2017)

No. 69

Carter said staying quiet about racism equaled accepting it (2016)

No. 70

Watch Carter’s commencement speech at Liberty University (2019)

No. 71

Take a virtual tour of Plains and see Carter’s boyhood home (2008)

No. 72

Carter paid tribute to a reporter who exposed election fraud (2019)

No. 73

Plan a visit to the Carter Presidential Center (2019)

No. 74

The time Ted Turner and Hank Aaron honored the Carters (2018)

No. 75

The time Carter said he might not have been president if Twitter had been around (2017)

President Jimmy Carter speaks during an dedication ceremony at the Carter Center in 2014. (HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

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Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

No. 76

Carter helped generate 50% of electricity for Plains using solar panels (2017)

No. 77

Read an excerpt from Carter’s book “Faith: A Journey for All” (2018)

No. 78

The time Carter attended the funeral of President George H. W. Bush (2018)

No. 79

When Carter gave advice to all the 2020 presidential candidates (2018)

No. 80

Learn the truth behind the “killer rabbit” story (1979)

No. 81

Watch Carter’s speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (2016)

No. 82

Hear praise for Carter from international aid workers (2015)

No. 83

Watch Plains residents show support for Carter as he battled cancer (2018)

No. 84

Remember the time he urged Carter Center donors to redirect their money to fighting coronavirus. (2020)

No. 85

Get a new appreciation from the documentary “Carterland.” (2021)

No. 86

See one of Carter’s annual Town Hall meetings with Emory freshmen (2016)

President Jimmy Carter, wife Rosalynn, and members of their family attend the Sunday morning service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in 2018. (Hyosub Shin / hshin@ajc.com)

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No. 87

Read a Q&A with Carter about his book “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” (2019)

No. 88

Bernie Sanders discussed human rights with Carter (2017)

No. 89

Argentina honored Carter with the country’s highest award (2017)

No. 90

Remembering five times that Carter broke the internet (2018)

No. 91

The time Ebenezer Baptist Church praised Carter as a “living example of the Gospel” (2018)

No. 92

Learn how Plains likes to celebrate its best-known residents. (2021)

No. 93

Listen to the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast as it makes an intimate visit with the people of Plains. (2023)

No. 94

The time Carter received well wishes from around the world after his hospitalization (2017)

No. 95

Read one more quick sketch of a life well lived (2018)

No. 96

Get newest coronavirus vaccine, and tell them that Jimmy and Rosalynn sent you. (2021)

No. 97

Remembering 13 ways that Carter changed the world (2017)

No. 98

Read a heartwarming description of Jimmy Carter’s time in home hospice care alongside Rosalynn, as recently described by a grandson to a magazine. (2023)

And finally,

No. 99

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