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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Gustaf Kilander and Kelly Rissman

Jimmy Carter funeral live updates: 39th president’s remains head to Georgia for burial next to wife Rosalynn

The funeral of President Jimmy Carter has come to a close.

The remains of the 39th president, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, will now be taken to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where a private ceremony will be held. There, the late president will be buried alongside Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years.

All five living presidents — Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton — were in attendance. Obama and Trump even had a lengthy chat and shared a laugh.

Biden, a friend of Carter’s, delivered a eulogy at the service at the Washington National Cathedral.

“Jimmy Carter’s friendship taught me, and through his life, taught me strength of character is more than title or the power we hold,” Biden said. “To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose: study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example. I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that he and his beloved Rosalynn are reunited again.”

Thursday’s funeral marked the final tribute to the longest-living president as the six-day proceedings come to an end. Funeral services and ceremonies have taken place at the U.S. Capitol, the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, and in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Key Points

  • Watch live: Former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral takes place at Washington National Cathedral
  • What is closed on January 9? What to know about national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter
  • Here's the schedule for the final day of funeral rites for President Jimmy Carter
  • Who are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s children?
  • Why isn’t Michelle Obama at the ceremony?
  • Who performed at Jimmy Carter’s funeral?

Biden hails Carter’s ‘strength of character’ in eulogy

19:10 , Kelly Rissman

President Joe Biden on Thursday eulogized the late former president Jimmy Carter as a man whose “deep Christian faith in God” had led him to lead an extraordinary and forward-looking life over the century he spent on the earth, one who “never let the tides of politics divert him from his mission to serve and shape the world .”

“Throughout his life, he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works and a good and faithful servant of God and of the people,” said Biden, who praised Carter as having seen “well into the future” even though he had appeared to many as being a relic of “a bygone era.”

“A white southern Baptist who led his son civil rights, a decorated Navy veteran who brokered peace, a brilliant nuclear engineer who led a nuclear nonproliferation, a hard working farmer who championed conservation and clean energy ... through it all, he showed us how character and faith start with ourselves and then flows to others,” he said.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

Biden hails Jimmy Carter’s ‘strength of character’ in eulogy for 39th president

In photos: Jimmy Carter honored at Washington National Cathedral

18:50 , Kelly Rissman
Jimmy Carter (Haiyun Jiang)
APTOPIX Jimmy Carter (The Washington Post)
APTOPIX Jimmy Carter (Haiyun Jiang)
APTOPIX Jimmy Carter (Haiyun Jiang)

What to know about national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter

18:30 , Kelly Rissman

The U.S. will honor the late President Jimmy Carter with a national day of mourning, which will see some offices closed for the day.

Carter died at the age of 100 on December 29. President Joe Biden used an executive order to declare January 9, the day of Carter’s state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral, a day of mourning.

Biden is set to deliver a eulogy, and President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will attend the ceremony. Flags are being flown at half-staff for the 30-day period following the late president’s death.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story.

What is closed on January 9? What to know about national day of mourning

ICYMI: Jason Carter delivers a eulogy for his grandfather Jimmy Carter

18:10 , Kelly Rissman

Who are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s children?

17:54 , Amelia Neath, Gustaf Kilander

When Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter entered the White House in 1977, they became the first couple since John F Kennedy to raise their children in the executive mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Over the years, their family continued to grow in size, with nearly two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren added to the Carter clan.

“We have a big family now. We have 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 38 of us in all,” Carter told CNN in 2015.

Read the full story.

Who are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s children?

ICYMI: Karen Pence doesn't shake Trump or Melania's hand at Jimmy Carter's funeral

17:22 , Kelly Rissman

Funeral services come to a close

17:21 , Kelly Rissman

The funeral services at Washington National Cathedral have concluded.

The late president’s casket is being carried out of the cathedral and into the hearse on the way to Joint Base Andrews.

Then, there will be a private ceremony and burial in Plains, Georgia, his hometown.

Who performed at Jimmy Carter’s funeral?

17:12 , Kelly Rissman

Here’s a look at who performed at the funeral service for the late 39th president on Thursday:

  • The Armed Forces Chorus, the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra, and the Cathedral Choir perform “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”
  • Phyllis Adams and Leila Bolden perform “Song Rise to Thee.”
  • The U.S. Marine Orchestra performs “Amazing Grace”
  • Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform “Imagine.”

Why Michelle Obama skipped Jimmy Carter’s funeral

17:05 , Kelly Rissman

All five living presidents and their partners attended former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, except for one person: former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Carter’s life was celebrated at the National Cathedral on Thursday morning. However, the former first lady was notably absent despite all other former and current first ladies attending.

It’s not entirely clear why the former first lady was absent. However, CNN’s Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny reports it was due to an extended vacation in Hawaii.

Katie Hawkinson has the full story.

Why Michelle Obama skipped Jimmy Carter’s funeral

Biden concludes eulogy

16:58 , Kelly Rissman

President Biden delivered a heartfelt eulogy to his friend Jimmy Carter on Thursday morning.

After honoring Carter’s character, the president said: “To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose: study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example. I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that his beloved Rosalynn are reunited again.”

Biden continued: “To the entire Carter family, thank you, and I mean this sincerely, for sharing them both with America and the world. We love you all. Jill and I will cherish our visits with them, including that last one in their home. We saw Jimmy as he always was, at peace with a life fully lived, a good life, a purpose and meaning of character, driven by destiny and filled with the power of faith, hope and love.”

Read the full story.

Biden hails Carter’s ‘strength of character’ in eulogy for 39th president

In photos: Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral

16:55 , Kelly Rissman
President Joe Biden makes the sign of the cross as he passes the casket of former President Jimmy Carter during a state funeral service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP)
epa11815266 (Top to Bottom, L-R) Former US Vice President Mike Pence, former US President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton, former US President George W. Bush, his wife Laura Bush, former US President Barack Obama, US President-elect Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump, US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff pay their respects at the state funeral for former US President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, USA, 09 January 2025. Carter, the 39th US president, died at age 100 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, on 29 December 2024. EPA/SAMUEL CORUM / POOL (EPA)
Grandson Jason Carter, walks by and touches the flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter, after speaking a tribute at the state funeral for Carter at Washington National Cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (AP)

epa11815300 The flag-draped casket of former US President Jimmy Carter lies in state during his State Funeral services at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, USA, 09 January 2025. Carter, the 39th US president, died at age 100 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, on 29 December 2024. EPA/HAIYUN JIANG/ POOL (EPA)

Joe Biden delivers eulogy for the late 39th president

16:43 , Kelly Rissman

President Joe Biden read a eulogy for the late president, who he describes as his friend.

Carter “came from a house without running water or electricity and rose to a pinnacle, a power,” Biden said.

Biden said Carter never let politics keep him from his principles: “Jimmy had character.”

The president said: “Because of that, character I believe is destiny. Destiny in our lives, and quite frankly, destiny in the life of the nation. It’s an accumulation of a million things built on character, that leads to a good life and a decent country. Life of purpose, life of meaning. Now, how do we find that good life? What does it look like What does it take to build character? Do the ends justify the means?”

“Jimmy Carter’s friendship taught me, and through his life, taught me, strength of character is more than title or the power we hold,” Biden continued.

Carter saw well into the future, he said.

“A decorated Navy veteran who brokered peace. A brilliant nuclear engineer who led a nuclear nonproliferation. A hard-working farmer who championed conservation and clean energy,” Biden said.

Carter also demonstrated a model post-presidency, making profound differences in the U.S. and around the world, the president said.

“God bless you Jimmy Carter,” Biden concluded.

The late president’s grandson gives touching remarks

16:24 , Kelly Rissman

Jason Carter, the grandson of the late president, said his grandparents spent a lot of time demonstrating to others that they were “regular folks.”

Their house was a good reminder: walls papered with photos of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, filled with fishing trophies, and an old phone with a cord.

He joked one time the former president called Jason and didn’t realize it: “I didn’t call you, I’m trying to take a picture.” The audience erupted in laughter.

But he was far from ordinary, his grandson said.

“He had the courage and strength to stick to his principles even when they were politically unpopular,” Jason said.

He said Carter acted the same both in public and private.

“I never perceived a difference in his public face and his private one. He was the same person no matter who he was with or where he was,” Jason said, calling it the definition of integrity.

“In the end, his life is a love story,” he said. It’s a love story between Jimmy and Rosalyn; in the last few weeks, the former president told his family that he was ready to see her again, Jason said.

His principles and his work as president and beyond were also based in love and respect, Jason said.

Spotted: Karen Pence avoids shaking Donald Trump’s hand at Carter’s funeral

16:15 , Kelly Rissman

Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s former chief domestic policy adviser, delivers remarks

16:10 , Kelly Rissman

Stuart Eizenstat, former chief domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter, called “as close to being a renaissance man as any president entering the Oval Office in modern times.”

Carter was a poet, author, creator of the Carter Center, fly fisherman, Naval officer, president, husband and father, Eizenstat said.

“As we lay our 39th presence to rest, it’s time we redeem his presidency and also lay to rest the myth that his greatest achievement only came as a former president,” he said.

Carter “parked politics at the Oval Office door,” took on controversial challenges, and did what he thought was right.

As president, he appointed more people of color and women to senior executive positions than any of the 38 presidents before him. He created the Education Department and FEMA. He provided the first incentives for conservation and “inaugurated the era of clean energy,” and even installed solar panels on the roof of the White House, Eizenstat said.

“He may not be a candidate for Mt. Rushmore but he belongs int he foothills by making the U.S. and the world safer,” Eizenstat concluded.

Ted Mondale, son of Carter’s VP Walter Mondale, delivers remarks

15:59 , Kelly Rissman

Ted Mondale, former Minnesota state senator and son of former Vice President Walter Mondale, read his father’s eulogy to Carter on Thursday.

Mondale recounted Carter’s commitment to combatting global issues and praised his legacy.

The late vice president said that Carter “protected” him from “humiliation” faced by other vice presidents.

“I will always be proud and grateful to work with you toward noble ends,” the younger Mondale read.

All 5 living presidents are in attendance — but only four first ladies

15:48 , Kelly Rissman

Michelle Obama did not accompany her husband, former President Barack Obama, at the funeral for Jimmy Carter in D.C. on Thursday.

Jill Biden, Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump, and Laura Bush were all at the ceremony, but Michelle Obama couldn’t make it, according to a report.

“I’m told by her advisors that she has scheduling conflicts,” journalist Jeff Zeleny said on CNN Thursday. “She’s still in Hawaii.”

The youngest son of former President Gerald Ford gives remarks

15:44 , Kelly Rissman

“Honesty and truth-telling were synonymous with Jimmy Carter,” Steven Ford said, reading a eulogy by his father, former President Gerald Ford.

Those traits were instilled in Carter by his parents, the youngest son of former President Gerald Ford said.

“He displayed that honesty throughout his life,” he continued. For Carter, honesty “was not an aspirational goal but it was part of his soul.”

He also praised Carter for his humanitarian work, including trying to eradicate disease and building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

‘God did a good thing when he made your dad:’ Steven Ford tells Carter family

15:37 , Kelly Rissman

Steven Ford, an actor and the youngest son of former President Gerald Ford, opened his remarks by addressing Carter’s children, saying he was praying for them.

The former president died in 2006. He preceded Carter as president.

“It was your dad in his great faith that supported my mom and gave her hope,” Ford said.

“God did a good thing when he made your dad,” he said.

Who will speak at Carter’s funeral?

15:31 , Kelly Rissman

President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy to honor his friend, the late Jimmy Carter.

Here’s who else will be speaking at Thursday’s service, according to the White House:

  • Joshua Carter reads the First Lesson (Romans 8:1-18, 38-39)
  • Steven Ford delivers remarks
  • Ted Mondale delivers remarks
  • The Armed Forces Chorus, the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra, and the Cathedral Choir perform “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”
  • Stuart Eizenstat delivers remarks
  • Jason Carter delivers remarks
  • Phyllis Adams and Leila Bolden perform “Song Rise to Thee.”
  • The U.S. Marine Orchestra performs “Amazing The President
  • James Carter delivers the Gospel reading (Matthew 5:1-16)
  • Reverend Andrew Young delivers the homily
  • Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform “Imagine.”
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde and Reverend Anthony Lowden deliver The Prayers
  • The Most Reverend Sean Rowe, The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, and The Very Reverend Randolph Marshall Hollerith deliver the Commendation
  • The Most Reverend Sean Rowe delivers the Blessing
  • The Very Reverend Randolph Marshall Hollerith delivers the Dismissal
  • Dismissal song “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.”

WATCH: Trump and Obama share a laugh at former president Jimmy Carter's funeral

15:25 , Kelly Rissman

PHOTOS: Dignitaries arrive for funeral

15:14 , Gustaf Kilander
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) speak ahead of the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 09, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
Former US President Barack Obama speaks with President-elect Donald Trump before the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)
Former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump speak together ahead of the state funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on January 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C (Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive for the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump chatting with Obama ahead of funeral

15:01 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump is seated next to Obama, and they appear to be having a friendly conversation. Michelle Obama does not appear to be in attendance.

Next to Obama, George and Laura Bush are seated, with Bill and Hillary Clinton closest to the aisle.

Kamala Harris is sitting with Doug Emhoff in the first row alongside Joe and Jill Biden.

Former US President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump arrive to attend the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump greets Pence at funeral

14:54 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald and Melania Trump have arrived at the Washington National Cathedral.

Trump shook hands with his former Vice President Mike Pence as he sat down.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as he arrives with Melania Trump as former U.S. Vice President Al Gore looks on during the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 09, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump arrive to attend the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump arrive to attend the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

PHOTOS: Dignitaries gather for Carter's funeral

14:44 , Gustaf Kilander
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (C-R) attends the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 09, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
Former Vice President Al Gore arrives ahead of the state funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on January 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Former Senator Patrick Leahy arrives ahead of the state funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on January 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan speak ahead of the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 09, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

PHOTOS: Carter’s casket leaves the Capitol

14:41 , Gustaf Kilander
The remains of former US President Jimmy Carter leave the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The remains of former US President Jimmy Carter leave the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden arrives to Washington National Cathedral

14:28 , Gustaf Kilander

President Joe Biden’s motorcade arrived at the Washington National Cathedral at 9.20 a.m. He was traveling with the first lady, vice president, and second gentleman.

The motorcade drove through a snowy Rock Creek Park before driving along Waterside Drive to Massachusetts Avenue.

Onlookers watched the motorcade drive by from outside the British Embassy.

PHOTOS: Carter’s casket leaves the Capitol

14:10 , Gustaf Kilander
An Honor Guard prepares for the departure of the remains of former US President Jimmy Carter from the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)
Amy Carter (4th L) joined by members of the Carter family watch as the remains of former US President Jimmy Carter leave the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The remains of former US President Jimmy Carter leave the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The remains of former US President Jimmy Carter leave the US Capitol for the State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Watch live: Former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral takes place at Washington National Cathedral

14:07 , Lucy Leeson

Watch live as former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral takes place at Washington National Cathedral today (9 January).

The 39th U.S. president, will be honored with the pageantry of a funeral at Washington National Cathedral before a second service and burial in his tiny Georgia hometown.

President Joe Biden, who was the first sitting senator to endorse Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, will eulogize his fellow Democrat 11 days before he leaves office. All of Carter’s living successors are expected to attend the Washington funeral, including President-elect Donald Trump, who paid his respects before Carter’s casket Wednesday.

Thursday will conclude six days of national rites that began in Plains, Georgia, where Carter was born in 1924, lived most of his life and died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. Ceremonies continued in Atlanta and Washington, where Carter, a former Naval officer, engineer and peanut farmer, has lain in state since Tuesday.

Jimmy Carter will be honored at Washington funeral before burial in Georgia hometown

14:00 , Bill Barrow

Jimmy Carter, who considered himself an outsider even as he sat in the Oval Office as the 39th U.S. president, will be honored Thursday with the pageantry of a funeral at Washington National Cathedral before a second service and burial in his tiny Georgia hometown.

President Joe Biden, who was the first sitting senator to endorse Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, will eulogize his fellow Democrat 11 days before he leaves office. All of Carter’s living successors are expected to attend the Washington funeral, including President-elect Donald Trump, who paid his respects before Carter’s casket Wednesday.

The rare gathering of commanders in chief is one example of how Thursday will be an unusual moment of comity for the nation. Days of formal ceremonies and remembrances from political leaders, business titans and rank-and-file citizens have honored Carter for decency and using a prodigious work ethic to do more than obtain political power.

Read more:

Jimmy Carter will be honored at Washington funeral before burial in Georgia hometown

PHOTOS: Hearse awaits Carter’s casket for journey to Washington National Cathedral

14:00 , Gustaf Kilander
The U.S. Capitol is seen reflected in a hearse bearing the presidential seal ahead of the funeral procession of former President Jimmy Carter on January 9, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
The U.S. Capitol over a hearse bearing the presidential seal ahead of the funeral procession of former President Jimmy Carter on January 9, 2025 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

What is closed on January 9? What to know about national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter

13:33 , Gustaf Kilander

The U.S. will honor the late President Jimmy Carter with a national day of mourning, which will see some offices closed for the day.

Carter died at the age of 100 on December 29. President Joe Biden used an executive order to declare January 9, the day of Carter’s state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral, a day of mourning.

Biden is set to deliver a eulogy, and President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will attend the ceremony. Flags are being flown at half-staff for the 30-day period following the late president’s death, CNN noted.

The most recent national day of mourning took place in December 2018 following the death of President George H.W. Bush at the age of 94.

Here’s what will definitely be closed on Thursday.

What is closed on January 9? What to know about national day of mourning

Here's the schedule for the final day of funeral rites for President Jimmy Carter

13:27 , AP

Here is Thursday’s schedule for the final day of rites honoring Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, who died Dec. 29. All times are Eastern:

9 a.m. — Carter’s casket departs the U.S. Capitol. The funeral motorcade travels to Washington National Cathedral.

9:30 a.m. — Carter’s motorcade arrives at Washington National Cathedral.

10 a.m. — The Washington funeral begins.

11:15 a.m. — Carter’s remains and his family depart the cathedral for Joint Base Andrews.

11:45 a.m. — They board Special Air Mission 39.

2 p.m. — Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Lawson Army Airfield at Fort Moore, Georgia. Carter’s remains will be transferred with ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family then travel to Plains by motorcade.

3:30 p.m. — Motorcade arrives at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains.

3:45 p.m. — An invitation-only funeral at the church begins.

4:45 p.m. — A motorcade takes participants from the church to the Carter residence.

5:20 p.m. — A U.S. Navy missing man formation conducts a flyover in honor of Carter’s naval service and time as commander in chief, followed by a private graveside ceremony and interment.

Carter reflected on 1980 Olympic boycott: ‘A bad decision’

Wednesday 8 January 2025 14:00 , Eddie Pells

It was a decision that robbed hundreds of athletes of their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory, and for more than four decades, it weighed heavily on the man who made it — Jimmy Carter.

Carter’s passing Sunday has unearthed memories from his 1977-1981 presidency. Somewhere between his greatest foreign-policy success (the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt) and his greatest failure (the Iran hostage crisis) sits the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

It was Carter who called for that boycott — a Cold War power play intended to express America’s disdain for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In his 1980 State of the Union Address, Carter said the invasion “could pose the most serious threat to world peace since the second World War.”

Read more:

Carter reflected on 1980 Olympic boycott: ‘A bad decision’

Who are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s children?

Wednesday 8 January 2025 13:00 , Gustaf Kilander, Amelia Neath

When Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter entered the White House in 1977, they became the first couple since John F Kennedy to raise their children in the executive mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Over the years, their family continued to grow in size, with nearly two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren added to the Carter clan.

“We have a big family now. We have 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 38 of us in all,” Carter told CNN in 2015.

“So, we try to hold our family together and just enjoy the family life.”

Read more:

Who are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s children?

‘We give money, we don’t take it’: Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s savings go after he dies?

Wednesday 8 January 2025 12:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, was not an extravagant man.

He lived on a property in Plains, Georgia — where he died on December 29 at age 100 — that was worth a fraction of the average U.S. house price, he shopped at budget stores, and he did not fly privately.

The least expensive former president for the U.S. government, Carter and his wife Rosalynnwho died in 2023 — lived a surprisingly average life after his term ended in 1981.

While the Carters lived a public life, they were nothing if not generous with their money.

Read more:

Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s money go after he dies?

Sunday school class with Jimmy Carter: What it was like

Wednesday 8 January 2025 11:00 , Paul Newberry

It never got old.

No matter how many times one crammed into the modest sanctuary at Maranatha Baptist Church, there was always some wisdom to be gleaned from the measured, Bible-inspired words of Jimmy Carter.

This was another side of the 39th president, a down-to-earth man of steadfast faith who somehow found time to teach Sunday school classes when he wasn’t building homes for the needy, or advocating for fair elections, or helping eradicate awful diseases.

For young and old, straight and gay, believers and nonbelievers, Black and white and brown, Maranatha was a far-off-the-beaten path destination in southwest Georgia where Carter, well into his 90s, stayed connected with his fellow citizens of the world.

Read more:

Sunday school class with Jimmy Carter: What it was like

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left behind enduring nonprofits as part of their legacy of giving back

Wednesday 8 January 2025 10:00 , Thalia Beaty

President Jimmy Carter ‘s legacy of giving back endures in several nonprofits he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, supported for the almost 50 years after they left the White House.

In Los Angeles on Monday, members of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles signed wooden two-by-fours that will be used in a new house as a tribute to the former president, who died at age 100 on Dec. 29. In Houston, they are planning to let members of the community sign a door and wall in a new house to remember the thousands of homes the Carters helped build. They will do the same in Tallahassee, Florida, and numerous other communities, in preparation for Carter’s state funeral on Jan. 9.

The tributes to his dedication to providing affordable housing show how the Carters’ work will continue.

Read more:

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left behind enduring nonprofits as part of their legacy of giving back

Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq from the perfect gentleman

Wednesday 8 January 2025 09:00 , Andrew Buncombe

The thing that sticks in my mind — even now — was the welcoming eyes and the warm smile.

He stretched out his hand to offer it in greeting and said something along the measure of: “Thanks for coming down to see us.”

Jimmy Carter — who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at age 100 — was always known as a gentleman, a farmer from Georgia who had held the most powerful political office in the world. But it did not seem forced, it did not seem an act.

I’d flown to the offices of The Carter Center in Atlanta to interview him about his latest book, The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War. He’d written plenty of books — he would go on to author more than 30 — but this was his first novel, one that the publisher Simon & Schuster described as “a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence.”

Read more:

Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq

How Jimmy Carter spent his final years building houses for the poor as he continued life of public service

Wednesday 8 January 2025 08:00 , Graeme Massie, Ariana Baio

He was the oldest living president and had been out of the White House for more than 35 years, but Jimmy Carter never stopped working to improve the lives of others — much of which included building homes for the needy.

Even well into his 90s, Carter put on a hard hat and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit organization he often partnered with through The Carter Center.

The one-term president — who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia — worked alongside 103,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,331 homes with Habitat for Humanity for more than 35 years. Often, Carter and his late wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, volunteered together.

Read more:

How Jimmy Carter built houses for the poor until his final years

Jimmy Carter’s life in photos

Wednesday 8 January 2025 07:00 , Ariana Baio

Jimmy Carter’s life was marked by his devotion to his family, public service and humanitarian efforts.

The former president first emerged into the political scene in the early 1960s and spent the rest of his life working to ensure people in the US and around the world received fair treatment and a better quality of life.

From an early age his desire to make a difference in people’s life was evident.

Read more:

Jimmy Carter’s life in photos

Longest-lived US president was always happy to speak his mind

Wednesday 8 January 2025 06:00 , PA Reporters

Jimmy Carter, the United States’ longest-lived president, was never afraid of speaking his mind.

Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others.

His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit.

Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford.

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Longest-lived US president was always happy to speak his mind

The humblest president in history: How Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to their Plains home after the White House

Wednesday 8 January 2025 05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Jimmy Carter once held the highest office in the land — but was just as content in his family home in small town Georgia.

At the age of 56, having lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter returned to Plains, Georgia, the small town where both he and his wife Rosalynn were born in the 1920s.

From the White House, they moved back into the ranch house they built in the city in 1961. That modest home is where Carter peacefully died on Sunday at the age of 100.

At the 2020 census, Plains, which to many is only known for being the birthplace of the Carters, had a population of 573. In 2022, the median household income was $36,138.

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How Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to Plains after the White House

Did Jimmy Carter blow royal etiquette by kissing Queen Mother on the lips?

Wednesday 8 January 2025 04:00 , Alex Croft

The late former US president Jimmy Carter was a relative novice at international diplomacy when made his first visit to the UK just four months into his term in the White House in 1977 – which resulted in him earning the displeasure of the Queen Mother after being said to have given her a parting kiss on the lips.

It was the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, marking her 25th year on the throne, and world leaders attending a G7 summit were invited for a state banquet in Buckingham Palace where they were to meet the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Photographs showed Mr Carter and the Queen Mother being all smiles as the president escorted her by her white-gloved hand to their places in a formal group portrait with the G7 leaders before dinner. But the evening would end with a short moment which would spark debate among British tabloids and the American media for decades afterwards, with the president accused of a total ignorance of royal protocol.

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Did Jimmy Carter blow royal etiquette by kissing Queen Mother on the lips?

How American presidents have planned their own funerals

Wednesday 8 January 2025 03:00 , Chris Megerian

Jimmy Carter‘s memorial journey will end at his house in the tiny town of Plains, Georgia, where he grew up on a peanut farm. That is where his wife, Rosalynn, was laid to rest last year in a burial plot that they chose years ago.

But before Carter reaches his humble final destination, there will be an interstate choreography of grief, ceremony and logistics that is characteristic of state funerals. Ever since the nation’s founding, America has bid farewell to former presidents with an intricate series of events weaving together longstanding traditions and personal touches.

Funerals often are planned by the presidents themselves, who usually have years after leaving the White House to ponder how they want to be memorialized.

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How American presidents have planned their own funerals

Jimmy Carter brokered peace in the Middle East – then triggered his greatest failure

Wednesday 8 January 2025 02:00 , Mary Dejevsky

For all the praise that has been lavished on Jimmy Carter, he was a one-term president and his four years at the White House were for the most part a failure – albeit outweighed many times over by the charitable endeavours of his retirement.

The Carter administration did, however, notch up one diplomatic success, which might have gained more recognition without what happened next. The success came with the Camp David accords that were signed in September 1978; that is a third of the way through his term, and constituted a diplomatic breakthrough of the first order.

They afforded Israel more security than it had arguably enjoyed since its creation in 1948 and they brought peace, for a while, to the Middle East. It is hard to recall now, but the main conflict before then had pitted Israel against the whole of the Arab world, with Egypt in the vanguard as the strongest military power.

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Jimmy Carter brokered peace in the Middle East – then triggered his greatest failure

End of coverage

Wednesday 8 January 2025 01:47 , Graig Graziosi

This concludes our coverage of former President Jimmy Carter’s memorial service in Washington, DC.

Thank you for reading The Independent. Be sure to check back for further developments on this and other stories.

VIDEO: Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies aged 100

Wednesday 8 January 2025 01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Despite Trump’s protests, flags will be flown at half-staff on Inauguration Day to remember Jimmy Carter

Wednesday 8 January 2025 00:59 , Graig Graziosi

As former President Jimmy Carter lies in state at the US Capitol, flags at US federal buildings around the world have been lowered to half staff, and will remain that way until January 28.

That means that American flags will be at half-staff — a sign of national mourning — when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20.

Despite Trump’s complaints that “nobody wants to see this” and that “no American can be happy about it,” the flag lowering has nothing to do with him.

When a president dies, US law requires that flags at federal buildings be flown at half-staff for 30 days. Because Carter died on December 29, that means the mourning period will occur in tandem with Trump’s inauguration.

Thus far, there is no reason to think that is going to change before January 20.

Jimmy Carter made eradicating Guinea worm disease a top mission

Wednesday 8 January 2025 00:00 , Russ Bynum, Sam Mednick

Noble Prize-winning peacemaker Jimmy Carter spent nearly four decades waging war to eliminate an ancient parasite plaguing the world’s poorest people.

Rarely fatal but searingly painful and debilitating, Guinea worm disease infects people who drink water tainted with larvae that grow inside the body into worms as much as 3-feet-long. The noodle-thin parasites then burrow their way out, breaking through the skin in burning blisters.

Carter made eradicating Guinea worm a top mission of The Carter Center, the nonprofit he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, founded after leaving the White House. The former president rallied public health experts, billionaire donors, African heads of state and thousands of volunteer villagers to work toward eliminating a human disease for only the second time in history.

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Jimmy Carter made eradicating Guinea worm disease a top mission

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left behind enduring nonprofits as part of their legacy of giving back

Tuesday 7 January 2025 23:40 , Graig Graziosi

President Jimmy Carter ‘s legacy of giving back endures in several nonprofits he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, supported for the almost 50 years after they left the White House.

In Los Angeles on Monday, members of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles signed wooden two-by-fours that will be used in a new house as a tribute to the former president, who died at age 100 on Dec. 29. In Houston, they are planning to let members of the community sign a door and wall in a new house to remember the thousands of homes the Carters helped build. They will do the same in Tallahassee, Florida, and numerous other communities, in preparation for Carter’s state funeral on Jan. 9.

The tributes to his dedication to providing affordable housing show how the Carters’ work will continue.

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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left behind enduring nonprofits as part of their legacy of giving back

Jimmy Carter is back in Washington, where he remained an outsider

Tuesday 7 January 2025 23:20 , Graig Graziosi

Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation’s capital in humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites starting Tuesday.

Carter’s remains, which had been lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Center since Saturday, left the Atlanta campus Tuesday morning, accompanied by his children and extended family. Special Air Mission 39 departed Dobbins Air Reserve Base north of Atlanta and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. A motorcade carried the casket into Washington for a final journey to the Capitol, where members of Congress will pay their respects.

In Georgia, eight military pallbearers held Carter’s casket as canons fired on the tarmac nearby. They carried it to a vehicle that lifted it to the passenger compartment of the aircraft, the iconic blue and white Boeing 747 variant that is known as Air Force One when the sitting president is on board. Carter never traveled as president on the jet, which first flew as Air Force One in 1990 with President George H.W. Bush.

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Jimmy Carter is back in Washington, where he remained an outsider

America – and Donald Trump – have much to learn from the life and service of Jimmy Carter

Tuesday 7 January 2025 23:00 , Editorial

As the tributes poured in from the United States and around the world, it was hard not to observe that even in death there can be good and bad timing – and Jimmy Carter’s was perfect.

He had reached the age of 100, to become the longest-lived US president ever. His state funeral will take place, appropriately, under a Democratic administration, and could well mark the last public appearance of Joe Biden as president before the inauguration of his successor.

Most of all, with just three weeks remaining before Donald Trump enters the White House for the second time, the passing of Jimmy Carter has provided the ideal pretext for Trump’s detractors to hurl yet more disapproving stones at the man they love to hate.

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America – and Trump – have much to learn from the life and service of Jimmy Carter

Carter will lie in state at the US Capitol until Thursday, Biden to deliver euology

Tuesday 7 January 2025 22:54 , Graig Graziosi

Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29 aged 100, will lie in state at the US Capitol until Thursday.

On Thursday morning, former heads of state and dignitaries will attend a funeral for Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington DC.

President Joe Biden will deliver a euology during that service.

In pictures: Inside Jimmy Carter’s state funeral

Tuesday 7 January 2025 22:47 , Mike Bedigan
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(AP)
(AP)
(Getty Images)
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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