Jimmy Carter, former US president, turns 100

Jimmy Carter, seen here in 2016, holds the record as the longest-living former president of the United States.

Jimmy Carter will mark his 100th birthday on Tuesday, becoming the first former U.S. president to achieve this remarkable age.

Carter, a Democrat who was in office from 1977 to 1981, has been receiving hospice care at his home in Georgia for the last 19 months.

However, the ex-peanut farmer, who began his political career as a state senator in the 1960s, is still "emotionally involved and continues to have experiences, along with moments of laughter and love," according to his grandson, Jason, who spoke about this in September.

The centenarian remains politically active, expressing his desire to participate in the upcoming election: "I just want to be able to vote for Kamala Harris," as shared by his grandson, who is a humanitarian and Nobel Prize laureate.

In celebration of this special event, volunteers from Habitat for Humanity, the housing organization that Carter has been involved with for four decades, are constructing 30 houses in Minnesota this week.

On Tuesday, there will be celebrations in Plains, the hometown of the former governor of Georgia. The festivities will include a military jet flyover, and in his honor, 100 new citizens will take part in naturalization ceremonies.

Carter took office in 1977.

In 1979, he greeted Pope John Paul II at the White House.

This follows a star-filled concert that took place in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month, honoring the 39th president's significant birthday and generating support for The Carter Center.

"It was an unforgettable night, filled with amazing music and sincere tributes, marking a historic moment as the first-ever celebration of a living American president reaching their 100th birthday," Carter remarked at the time.

The concert, which brought in over $1.2 million (£900,000) and included video messages from various former presidents, is set to be broadcast on Georgia Public Broadcasting this Tuesday. Numerous musical performances took place at the event, drawing in a crowd of thousands.

His family announced that the former president will be tuning in to the broadcast on Tuesday.

Carter, unable to be present at the concert, made an unusual public appearance in November 2023 at a memorial service for his wife Rosalynn, who passed away at the age of 96 earlier that month.

Their 77-year marriage is the longest in history for any presidential couple.

Following their tenure in the White House, the former president and first lady became advocates for the Habitat for Humanity organization.

In 2018, Carter released a book called Faith: A Journey For All.

When Carter began hospice care in Plains, Georgia, in February 2023, some family members allegedly believed he had just a few days to live.

"It's truly a blessing," remarked Josh Carter, one of his grandsons, during a recent conversation with the New York Times. "This is a blessing that caught us by surprise."

Some believe that Carter's journey has helped highlight the advantages of hospice care. "Everyone is supporting Jimmy Carter," said Barbara Pearce, the CEO of Connecticut Hospice, in an interview with CBS News, a partner of the BBC in the US.

"He has contributed far more to our understanding than we could have achieved on our own by highlighting that choosing hospice care is a sensible decision," she explained. "He has allowed everyone to view hospice care as a valid alternative that doesn't hasten the end of life but instead enhances comfort and satisfaction."