Childhood and Education Journey of Jimmy Carter in Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Jimmy Carter. From birth to education, explore key events.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President (1977-1981), was a Democratic politician and humanitarian. Before his presidency, he served as the 76th Governor of Georgia (1971-1975) and in the Georgia State Senate (1963-1967). Notably, Carter was the longest-lived U.S. president, reaching the age of 100.
October 1, 1924: James Earl Carter Jr. Born
On October 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. was born. He would later become the 39th president of the United States.
1932: First Elected Incumbent Loss Since Hoover
Jimmy Carter was the first elected incumbent president since Herbert Hoover in 1932 to lose a reelection bid.
1937: Attended Plains High School
In 1937, Carter began attending Plains High School.
1941: Graduated from Plains High School
In 1941, Carter graduated from the 11th grade at Plains High School.
1941: Undergraduate Coursework
In 1941, Jimmy Carter started undergraduate coursework in engineering at Georgia Southwestern College.
1943: Naval Academy Appointment
In 1943, Jimmy Carter received an appointment to the Naval Academy from U.S. Representative Stephen Pace.
July 7, 1946: Marriage to Rosalynn Smith
On July 7, 1946, Jimmy Carter married Rosalynn Smith at the Plains Methodist Church. They would go on to have three sons and one daughter.
1946: Moved for Military Deployments
From 1946 to 1953, the Carters lived in Virginia, Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, and California, during his deployments in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.
1946: Graduation and Marriage
In 1946, Carter graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science and married Rosalynn Smith.
1946: Graduated from U.S. Naval Academy
In 1946, Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and joined the submarine service.
1947: Graduation Class Rank
In 1947, Jimmy Carter graduated 60th out of 821 midshipmen in the class of 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as an ensign.
March 1953: Nuclear Power Plant Operation Course
In March 1953, Carter began a six-month nuclear power plant operation course at Union College in Schenectady.
October 9, 1953: Resigned from Active Duty
On October 9, 1953, Carter left active duty in the Navy to take over the family peanut business after his father's death.
1953: Moved for Military Deployments
From 1946 to 1953, the Carters lived in Virginia, Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, and California, during his deployments in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.
1954: Brown v. Board of Education
As racial tension inflamed in Plains by the 1954 Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, Carter favored integration.
1961: Integration Advocacy
By 1961, Carter began to speak more prominently of integration as a member of the Baptist Church and chairman of the Sumter County school board.
1966: Gubernatorial Election
In 1966, Carter ran in the Georgia gubernatorial election against Ellis Arnall and Lester Maddox, losing the primary but gaining enough votes to force a runoff. This period was a spiritual turning point for Carter; he declared himself a born again Christian.
January 6, 1969: Reported UFO sighting
On January 6, 1969 Jimmy Carter reported that he saw an unidentified flying object.
October 1969: UFO Bureau Report
In October 1969, Jimmy Carter filed a report with the International UFO Bureau and the National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena regarding a UFO sighting.
1971: Mary Prince becomes Amy Carter's nanny
In 1971, Mary Prince, an African American woman wrongly convicted of murder, became the nanny for Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's daughter Amy, and served in that role until the end of Carter's presidency. Carter helped enable her to work in the White House by acting as her parole officer.
June 30, 1973: Meeting Elvis Presley
On June 30, 1973, Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn met Elvis Presley.
1974: Ford's Pardon of Nixon
In 1974, Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon which impacted the following 1976 election. Voters still held this against Ford when Carter was viewed as sincere, honest, and well-meaning.
1976: Popularizing "Born Again"
During his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter is credited with popularizing the term "born again" into the American lexicon, appealing to voters after the Nixon Administration scandals.
1976: Ran for president
In 1976, Carter ran for president, secured the Democratic nomination as a dark horse, and narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in the general election.
1976: Voter Perceptions
In exit polls from the 1976 presidential election, many voters still held Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon against him, while Jimmy Carter was viewed as sincere, honest, and well-meaning.
August 1977: Elvis Presley's Death
In August 1977, Jimmy Carter issued a statement following Elvis Presley's death, recognizing Presley's significant impact on American popular culture.
1977: Suggestion for Dylan Thomas Memorial
In 1977, during a state visit to the UK, Jimmy Carter suggested that Dylan Thomas should have a memorial in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey.
1978: Village renamed in Carter's honor
Carterpuri, a village in Haryana, India, was renamed in Jimmy Carter's honor after his visit in 1978.
1980: 1980 Election
In the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan projected self-confidence, contrasting with Jimmy Carter's temperament. Reagan used economic issues, the Iran hostage crisis, and Washington cooperation to portray Carter as weak and ineffectual.
1981: Carter family peanut business debt
In 1981, the Carter family's peanut business accumulated a $1 million debt, prompting Carter to begin writing books to alleviate the financial strain.
1982: Carter Center Founding
In 1982, Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center, a non-governmental and nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human rights and alleviating human suffering.
1982: Dylan Thomas Memorial Realized
In 1982, Jimmy Carter's suggestion of a Dylan Thomas memorial in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey came to fruition.
1994: Publication of Poetry Book
In 1994, Jimmy Carter published a book of poetry titled "Always a Reckoning and Other Poems," illustrated by his granddaughter Sarah Chuldenko.
2000: Renouncing Southern Baptist Membership
In 2000, Jimmy Carter renounced his membership in the Southern Baptist Convention after it announced it would no longer permit women to become pastors, citing his belief in equal roles for women in church service.
2006: Gerald Ford's death
After Gerald Ford's death in 2006, Jimmy Carter became the earliest-serving living former president.
2006: Jack Carter's Senate Nomination
In 2006, Jack Carter, Jimmy Carter's eldest son, was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nevada but lost to Republican incumbent John Ensign.
2006: Funeral Arrangements
In 2006, Jimmy Carter made arrangements to be buried in front of his home in Plains, Georgia, and planned a funeral in Washington, D.C., with visitation at the Carter Center.
2007: Founding of the New Baptist Covenant
In 2007, Jimmy Carter established the New Baptist Covenant organization, focusing on social justice initiatives.
2012: Longest-Retired President
In 2012, Jimmy Carter surpassed Herbert Hoover as the longest-retired U.S. president.
2013: Habitat for Humanity Project
In 2013, Jimmy Carter, along with Rosalynn, their son Chip, and daughter-in-law Becky, traveled to Queens Village in New York City to participate in five housing construction projects with Habitat for Humanity.
2014: Jason Carter's Gubernatorial Nomination
In 2014, Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's grandson and former Georgia state senator, was the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia but lost to the Republican incumbent, Nathan Deal.
August 3, 2015: Elective Liver Surgery
On August 3, 2015, Jimmy Carter underwent elective surgery to remove a small mass on his liver, with an initial prognosis of a full recovery.
December 20, 2015: Death of Grandson Jeremy Carter
On December 20, 2015, while teaching a Sunday school class, Jimmy Carter announced the death of his 28-year-old grandson, Jeremy Carter, due to unspecified causes.
2016: Explanation for UFO Sighting
In 2016, a former Air Force scientist found old government reports about a scientific project involving a barium cloud launched on the same date as Jimmy Carter's 1969 UFO sighting, providing a possible explanation.
2017: 40th Anniversary of Inauguration
In 2017, Jimmy Carter became the first president to live to the 40th anniversary of his inauguration. He also became the oldest former president ever to attend an American presidential inauguration.
March 22, 2019: Longest-Lived U.S. President
On March 22, 2019, Jimmy Carter became the longest-lived U.S. president.
May 13, 2019: Hip Fracture
On May 13, 2019, Jimmy Carter broke his hip in a fall at his Plains home and underwent surgery the same day.
July 2019: Carter's Book Publications
As of July 2019, Jimmy Carter had published over 30 books, ranging from children's literature to reflections on his presidency, averaging nearly one book per year since leaving the White House.
October 19, 2019: Longest-Wed Presidential Couple
On October 19, 2019, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter became the longest-married presidential couple, surpassing George and Barbara Bush at 26,765 days.
November 11, 2019: Hospitalization for Brain Pressure
On November 11, 2019, Jimmy Carter was hospitalized at Emory University Hospital for a procedure to relieve pressure on his brain caused by bleeding related to his falls.
December 2, 2019: Hospitalization for Urinary Tract Infection
On December 2, 2019, Jimmy Carter was readmitted to the hospital for a urinary tract infection.
2021: 40th Anniversary of Post Presidency
In 2021, Carter became the first president to live to the 40th anniversary of his post-presidency.
February 18, 2023: Entering Hospice Care
On February 18, 2023, the Carter Center announced that Jimmy Carter had decided to spend his remaining time at home in Plains with his family, receiving hospice care for an unspecified illness.
November 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter Died
On November 19, 2023, Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter, died.
August 2024: Desire to Live to 100 to Vote for Kamala Harris
In August 2024, Jimmy Carter's son Chip said his father wanted to live to 100 to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
September 17, 2024: Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song
On September 17, 2024, The Carter Center held Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song, a concert featuring appearances by musicians and celebrities to celebrate Carter's upcoming 100th birthday.
October 1, 2024: Carter turns 100
On October 1, 2024, Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old, becoming the first U.S. president to reach this milestone. Celebrations included a Navy flyover and a naturalization ceremony at Plains High School.
December 29, 2024: James Earl Carter Jr. Dies
On December 29, 2024, James Earl Carter Jr. died. He was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to reach the age of 100.
