Former President Carter and wife Rosalynn are shown on a walk in their hometown of Plains, Georgia. (Matt McClain/Washington Post via Getty Images/File)
Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old on Tuesday, making him the first U.S. president to live for an entire century.
Carter, the 39th president, has been known for several “firsts.” He was the first U.S. president born in a hospital, the first Naval Academy graduate to become president, and the first president to visit Sub-Saharan Africa officially. Now, he holds the record as the first U.S. president to reach 100.
Carter is currently receiving home hospice care in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he has lived since his presidency ended in 1981. He has been in hospice care for nearly two years. Sadly, his wife, Rosalynn, passed away last year at the age of 96.
Jill Stuckey, a family friend of the Carters for over 30 years and the superintendent of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park, said, “It’s funny, President Carter has done so much and usually succeeds at everything. But the one thing he hasn’t been great at is hospice.” She added, “He just keeps living, and we’re so happy about that. So if he’s not good at something, we’re glad it’s hospice.”
When asked what makes Carter different from other presidents who lived to an old age, Stuckey said it was his “tenacity” — his determination and will to keep going.
Jill Stuckey told Fox News Digital that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter always wanted to live as long as possible and stay healthy so they could help as many people as they could. She said they ate healthy meals, exercised every day, and worked hard to take care of themselves so they could keep helping others. “That’s what President Carter is showing today — that all those efforts really make a difference.”
The White House also put up a birthday message for Carter on the North Lawn to celebrate his 100th birthday.
Jill Stuckey said that celebrations for Carter’s 100th birthday started on Saturday in Plains, when the town held its annual peanut festival. “We celebrate peanut harvest season here in Plains, and it happens around the same time as President Carter’s birthday every year, so we usually celebrate them together,” she said.
Jill Stuckey also mentioned that on Tuesday, for Carter’s birthday, there will be more events in Plains, including a ceremony at Plains High School where 100 new citizens will take the oath. This is special because both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter went to that school.
After the ceremony, there will be a flyover to honor former President Carter, organized with help from Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. Later in the afternoon, Plains will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new statues dedicated to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
In celebration of Carter’s birthday, volunteers in St. Paul, Minnesota, came together to build 30 new homes over five days. Country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were among the participants.
“You’re one of the most influential statesmen in our history,” President Biden said in a video released ahead of Carter’s birthday on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Grand Ole Opry member and country music legend Charlie McCoy played a special rendition of “Georgia On My Mind” to honor the former president.
Cathie Skoog, a former member of the White House Communications Agency, said, “I remember the first time I saw him, and I was in awe. That feeling has always stayed with me. You can meet presidents all the time, but the first time is always the most special.” She added, “He didn’t care what people thought. He just did what he believed was right for the country.”
During his time as president, Carter focused on protecting the environment, improving human rights, and making the American education system better. He made big changes, like updating the civil service system, opening up the airline industry to more competition, and creating the Energy and Education departments. He also helped make cars safer by requiring both seat belts and airbags.
Carter’s time as president also had its challenges. There was high inflation, an energy crisis, and failed efforts to free American hostages who were held in Iran. His Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, eventually resigned because he disagreed with how the administration handled the hostage situation.
During the Iranian Revolution, oil prices in the U.S. went up sharply. In July 1979, President Carter gave a speech where he said Americans were losing confidence in the country because of rising inflation and the energy crisis.
He said, “The signs of this crisis of spirit are everywhere. For the first time, most Americans think the next five years will be worse than the last. Two-thirds of people don’t even vote. Workers are less productive, and Americans are saving less than people in other Western countries.”
Carter added, “We need to face the truth, and then we can change direction. We must believe in each other, believe we can govern ourselves, and have faith in the future. Restoring that faith is our most important job now.”
When the captain’s voice is heard speaking to the poor, heavy woman on the plane, the rich man mocks her. -A
An affluent man becomes displeased with being seated next to a corpulent woman in first class and begins to voice his complaints to the flight attendant.
The instant James Courtney spotted the woman seated beside him on the flight, he knew it was going to be a rough one. She was enormous! With her seated next him, how in the world was he going to travel in comfort?
The woman took a seat, jabbing at James with her elbow as she fastened her seat belt. “Observe it!” She turned to face James as he aggressively yelled at her.
She sobbed, “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please pardon me.”
“Pardon me?” sarcastically questioned James. Or pardon the three thousand doughnuts you consumed to reach that weight?
The woman gave him a startled gasp, and James noticed that she was rather young with a weak but sweet face. He was inspired to scoff, “Lady, you need to book TWO seats when you travel!”
The woman’s eyes welled up with tears, but James was in the mood, especially after noticing how cheap and dated her clothes were and how worn out her shoes were.
“I assume your entire budget goes on nachos and hot dogs, right?” he asked. So you’re not able to afford two seats? The next time you pass the hat, I’m sure everyone on the plane will be quite giving!
The woman turned to face the window, and James saw the tears streaming down her cheeks in the reflection. He said, “Listen.” “I’m sure my friend who owns a clinic down in Mexico would give you a liposuction for a lot less money!”
By the time James felt his discomfort from being pressed up against her soft weight had subsided, the young woman’s shoulders were quivering with sobs. He thus requested a Martini when the bartender arrived with the drinks cart.
In his best James Bond voice, he said, “Shaken, not stirred,” and then, “I don’t know what Moby Dick here will drink.”
The attractive attendant gave him a snide look while pressing her lips together tightly. Next, she spoke to the woman seated beside her. “Madam, what would you like to drink?”
With a nod, the woman dabbed at her eyes. “Please, give me a diet Coke.”
James sneered. “Don’t you think a diet Coke would be a little late in the game?” Though James felt a slight glow upon realizing he’d upset both the flight attendant and the woman, they both chose to ignore him.
While the woman next to him sipped her diet Coke, he reclined and bit on an olive and sipped his Martini. With a shudder, he realized she would eventually need to use the restroom and would be squeezing by him.
Shortly after he had finished his last drink, the flight attendant arrived carrying food. She placed a lovely tray in front of him and another one in front of the passenger next him.
“Are you certain that will suffice?” The flight attendant was asked by James, “Why do you think it would take a village to feed this lady?”
Disregarding him, the flight attendant continued serving the other first-class customers. “She really was impolite, wasn’t that?” James questioned the person seated beside him, saying, “I think I’ll complain about her.”
However, the other traveler disregarded him as well, and James proceeded to enjoy the genuinely superb meal. When the flight attendant returned, he was finishing the last of his wine, and she was beaming.
“Pardon me,” she began. “The captain would love to have you come up to the cockpit. He’s a big fan.”
After being startled, James noticed that the large woman sitting next to him was being spoken to by the flight attendant. She was flushing, nodding, and smiling. This implied that James needed to stand up and give her space.
After guiding the woman off of the aircraft, James resumed his seat. He expected to be forwarding a good deal of venomous emails concerning the first class service and conditions on the company’s flights to the management.
When the captain’s voice came over the speakers, he was mentally crafting some great diatribes. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said. One of us is a celebrity! You will recognize the voice if, like me, you are an avid listener of “I Love Opera.”
When a beautiful voice began singing a few bars of a well-known aria in the cabin, the other passengers began to applaud and make joyful comments to one another. “That’s correct,” declared the captain. “We’re flying with the lovely Miss Allison Jones to perform a charity concert for world hunger.”
James winced as the entire aircraft broke into spontaneous applause. The flight attendant then approached. “Listen up, buster,” she replied in a harsh, icy tone. “I’m putting you in economy if you upset that girl again, no matter how many millions you have.”
James noticed the sparkle in the flight attendant’s eye as he opened his mouth to object. “I apologize,” he muttered.
“You don’t have to apologize to me!” said she.
After some time, Allison Jones, the large woman, reappeared, grinning and signing autographs for the other travelers. James shot to his feet to give her room to sit.
He smiled his most endearing smile and said, “Listen.” “I apologize if I offended you a little; I didn’t know who you were.”
James saw that Allison had the most stunning eyes when she turned to face him. It makes no difference who I am. Never, ever treat someone that way! Furthermore, you’re not sorry. If I wasn’t sort of famous, would you even be saying sorry? I mean, I can’t control my weight, but you can alter your mindset. Give up passing judgment on others.
James stopped talking, lowered himself back into his chair, and remained silent until their arrival in Portland.
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