The death of former US President Jimmy Carter led to condolences around the world. Carter died Sunday at the age of 100, surrounded by his family in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Many heads of state and government expressed their condolences. US President Joe Biden has declared a national day of mourning and flags will fly at half-mast for 30 days.
The former US president died three months after his 100th birthday at his home in Plains, surrounded by his family, his foundation announced on Sunday. The Democrat was US president from 1977 to 1981 and in 2002 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.
After leaving the presidency, Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta to promote democracy, human rights and economic development. Rosalynn, to whom he was married for 77 years, died just over a year ago.
Carter remained actively involved in his humanitarian work well into his old age. Carter was the oldest living former U.S. president. None of his predecessors lived longer than he did.
National day of mourning on January 9
Following Carter’s death on December 29, Biden declared January 9 a national day of mourning and ordered the American flag at the White House and flags at all government buildings, military facilities and embassies abroad to be flown at half-mast for 30 days let it hang. He would also order a state funeral in the capital Washington.
“My father was a hero”
A public memorial service is also planned in Carter’s home state of Georgia. Carter is survived by four children, eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren. “My father was a hero – not just to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love,” the foundation quoted Carter’s son Chip as saying.
The last few years have been marked by illness
Carter’s health had been poor lately. In February 2023, after several hospital stays, he stopped medical treatment and entered home care. In November, he got his wish and voted by mail in the US presidential election. Carter had previously made it clear to Biden that he wanted to support Democrat Kamala Harris.
Carter announced in 2015 that he had cancer, but he managed to beat it. In recent years, Carter has been hospitalized several times due to falls.
In November 2019, during a service in his hometown of Plains, Carter made it clear that he viewed death with calmness. “I didn’t ask God to let me live,” said the devout Baptist. “I asked God to give me an appropriate attitude toward death. And I found myself completely at peace with death.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
