Former US President Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday

Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday, making him the first U.S. president to reach the milestone.

Carter, a Democrat who served in the White House from 1977 to 1981, has been receiving hospice care in his home state of Georgia for the past 19 months.

But the former peanut farmer, who first entered politics as a state senator in the 1960s, was “emotionally involved, still experienced, laughing and loving,” his grandson Jason said in September.

The centenarian still had political ambitions: “I just want to vote for Kamala Harris in the November election,” the humanitarian and Nobel Prize winner said, according to his grandson.

To mark the occasion, volunteers from Carter’s 40-year partnership with housing charity Habitat for Humanity will build 30 homes across Minnesota this week.

There will also be celebrations Tuesday in Plains, the former Georgia governor’s hometown. There will be a military aircraft flyover and a naturalization ceremony for 100 new citizens.

Earlier this month, a star-studded concert was held in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate the 39th President’s milestone birthday and raise funds for the Carter Center.

“It was an incredible night filled with great music and heartfelt tributes that made history as the first-ever 100th birthday celebration for a living President of the United States,” Carter said at the time.

The concert, which raised more than $1.2 million (£900,000) and also featured recorded messages from other presidents, will be broadcast on Georgia Public Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday. Dozens of musical performances were performed at the event, which was attended by thousands of people.

The former president’s family said he would watch the broadcast on Tuesday.

Carter, who was unable to attend the concert in person, Rare public appearance in November 2023 as he attended a memorial service for his wife Rosalynn, who died earlier this month at the age of 96.

Their 77-year marriage remains the longest of the first couple.

According to reports, when Carter first entered hospice care in Plains, Georgia, in February 2023, some relatives believed he only had days to live.

“It’s been a gift,” his other grandson, Josh Carter, said of the past few months in a recent interview with The New York Times. “This is a gift I didn’t know we would receive.”

Others say Carter’s story also raises awareness of the benefits of hospice care. “We all support Jimmy Carter,” Barbara Pearce, chief executive of Connecticut Hospice, told BBC America partner CBS News.

“He did more for us than we did for ourselves because he pointed out that it was a logical choice,” she said. “He allowed everyone to consider [hospice care] As a reasonable choice, it will not shorten their lifespan, but will increase their comfort and sense of accomplishment.