Remarkably, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, is 100 years old, this Tuesday, October 1.
Not only is he the oldest former president in history, the first to celebrate his 100th birthday, but the milestone celebrations come 19 months after he entered hospice care in February 2023; according to the National Institutes of Health, about 90% of patients die within a six-month timeframe after entering hospice.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian is being honored across the country and in his hometown of Plains, Georgia — he still lives in the one-story home he and his late wife Rosalynn Carter built in the 1960s — and the White House has displayed a sign honoring the remarkable moment.
President Joe Biden, who is 81 years old and was a senator when Carter was in office, said in a tribute video: "Mr. President, you've always been a moral force for our nation and the world. I recognized that as a young senator. That's why I supported you so early. You're a voice of courage, conviction, compassion, and most of all, a beloved friend of Jill and me and our family," and noted: "We know this is the first birthday without Rosalynn. It's bittersweet, but we also know she's always with you."
"You're one of the most influential statesmen in our history. Even after you left office, the moral clarity you showed throughout your career showed through again in your commitment through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity — resolving conflicts, advancing democracy, preventing disease, and so much more. It's transforming the lives of people not only at home but around the world. Put simply, Mr. President, I admire you so darn much."
Below, revisit what Carter's family has said about his birthday and health, what his year has been like, and one thing he is looking forward to.
It is his first birthday in 78 years without Rosalynn
Prior to Rosalynn's death in November of last year, the couple, who remained steadfast in their humanitarian work especially after the presidency and well into old age, were married for 77 years.
But their union predates their 1946 nuptials; Rosalynn was also born in Plains, Georgia, in 1927, when Carter was three years old, and it was his mother, a nurse, who delivered her. She was only a few days old when she met her future husband and political partner, when his mother took him to her house to "see the newest baby on the street," as he wrote in his 2015 memoir, A Full Life, Reflections at Ninety.
Carter 'can't wait' to vote for Kamala Harris
Aside from ringing in his 100th birthday, there is something else that has kept Carter going: the possibility of voting for the vice president, and hopefully seeing Kamala Harris become the first female president of the United States.
During a conversation with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month, his grandson Jason Carter said his grandfather told him: "I'm only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris."
Though he already cast his vote for her as a Georgia delegate during the Democratic National Convention in August by way of one of his family members, he will hopefully cast one more vote for her when early voting starts in Georgia on October 15, exactly two weeks from now.
The health updates we've gotten
Throughout his nearly two years in hospice care, Carter's family has given some updates on how he is doing. After Rosalynn's funeral, Jason told the New York Times: "He's coming to the end, and he's very, very physically diminished. But I think he was proud and happy that he was there for her till the very end, and he wasn't going to miss this for anything."
Still, last month, Jason told People: "He is emotionally engaged and still having experiences and laughing, loving," adding: "This is an important part of his faith journey, and it's one that you don't get to experience at any other time in your life except for the very end."
"So in that way, I think this has been a really meaningful time for him, and it's been a really reflective time for him."