Jimmy Carter's life: From peanut farmer to the Nobel Peace Prize winner

Jimmy Carter, the former US president, died on Sunday at the age of 100. His life story is shaped by modest beginnings: he grew up on a farm in Georgia without electricity and flowing water. After his career as a peanut farmer, Carter became governor of Georgia in 1971 and in 1976 gained the highest office in the country when he became president of the United States, an office that he held until 1981.

During his tenure, Carter was faced with numerous challenges, including the hostage drama of Tehran and high consumer prices. He became particularly known for Camp David's peace agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1978. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his tireless humanitarian efforts. Carter was married for 77 years with his wife Rosalynn, who died in November 2023 at the age of 96. He was strongly guided by his mother's values, which gave him respect for Blacks.

humanitarian commitment and retirement

After his presidency, Carter was intensively involved in humanitarian projects and founded the Carter Center in 1982. In recent years he has lived in Plains, Georgia, where he devoted himself to painting, writing and wine. Although he had health problems, Carter gave his vote for Kamala Harris in November 2023 and expressed the desire to be treated only in February 2023 to spend his remaining time at home.

In August 2015, Carter held a press conference to announce his cancer diagnosis. During this event, which took place in the Carter Center, it became known that he was suffering from metastatic melanoma and was treated at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. His treatment plan includes, among other things, four infusions of the Pembrolizumab immunotherapeuticism and stereotactic radiation therapy, which took place on August 20, 2015. Carter was confident about his medical team and also planned to reduce some of his global activities in favor of his treatment, whereby his grandson Jason Carter was supposed to take on the board of the Carter Center in November 2015.