Jimmy Carter, who is already the longest-living president in the history of the United States, will celebrate his 98th birthday on Saturday with family and friends in Plains, Georgia, the same tiny town in Georgia where both he and his wife, Rosalynn, who is 95 years old, were born in the years between World War I and the Great Depression. Rosalynn Carter was born in the same year as Jimmy Carter.
The most recent achievement of the 39th president comes at the same time that The Carter Center celebrates its 40th year of working to advance public health, promote democracy and conflict resolution, and monitor elections in developing countries. The Carter Center was established by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter after they served as presidents for one term each.
His grandson, Jason Carter, who currently serves as the board chair of the Carter Center and is the grandson of the former president, described his grandfather, an ardent Christian, as being pleased with his life and legacy.
“He is looking at his 98th birthday with faith in God’s plan for him,” said Jimmy Carter Jr., the younger Carter’s son, who is 47 years old. “And that is just a beautiful blessing for all of us to know, personally, that he is at peace and happy with where he has been and where he is going,” the younger Carter added.