Former US President Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday
Already the longest-lived of the 45 men to serve as US president, Jimmy Carter reached his century on October 1.
The 39th president, who remains under home hospice care, celebrated his 100th birthday in the same south Georgia town where he was born in 1924.
While he has been out of the public eye in recent years, his family said he has been following the presidential race closely ahead of November's election.
A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes were among the many events that marked Carter's birthday.
Considering the former president's long legacy as a philanthropist, it's perhaps no surprise that he wanted any gift-giving to go to other people.
Money raised from the concert, which was held last month but was televised on his birthday, was given to support the international programs of The Carter Center, which Jimmy and his wife Rosalynn Carter founded in 1982 with the mission to "wage peace, fight disease, and build hope."
Carter has won praise and admiration for his philanthropy since he left the White House after one term in 1981.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
While philanthropy is often measured by the size of donations, Carter's giving has come in the form of his tireless personal effort. From building homes to monitoring elections and pursuing the elimination of diseases, Carter has used his stature to draw attention to his causes.
"In so many ways, he set the standard for how presidents should be in their post-presidency, as someone who is going to continue to do good, someone who's going to continue to positively impact society," presidential historian Cassandra Newby-Alexander said.
Carter has seen a lot of change during his life. His country's population has increased from around 114 million in 1924 to about 330 million now.
However, Carter's hometown of Plains, where he has lived for more than 80 of his 100 years, still has only a few hundred residents, just as it did a century ago.
