Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Celebrates His 99th Birthday

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, celebrated his 99th birthday on Sunday, October 1st. The White House is set to honor Jimmy Carter on this occasion, and images shared on social media show a birthday greeting sign resembling a cake installed in the North Lawn of the White House. The friendship between Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter dates back over five decades, when Jimmy Carter became a presidential candidate and the first American senator to support him was Joe Biden from Delaware. Mr. Carter later referred to Joe Biden as 'his most effective supporter' in his 1976 election campaign in his memoirs. The welcoming ceremony for Carter in Tehran was attended by Mohammad Reza Shah. The Iran hostage crisis in 1979 (starting from November 4, 1979) overshadowed Jimmy Carter's efforts for a second presidential term, leading to his defeat against Republican Ronald Reagan. The American hostages, who were held in Iran for 444 days, were not released until the day of Mr. Reagan's inauguration, and this incident remains a dark point in Jimmy Carter's presidential record. Mr. Carter wrote in his book 'A Full Life' that this crisis made him vulnerable to attacks from those who called him 'ineffective.' He described his last year in the White House as 'the most stressful and unpleasant' period of his life. Jimmy Carter is the oldest living president in the United States and has lived the longest after his presidency. Currently, the living former U.S. presidents include Mr. Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. In the summer of 2021, Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, setting the record for the 'longest marriage' in U.S. presidential history. On the occasion of Carter's 99th birthday, over 15,000 people have written letters to him. Among the former U.S. presidents who have sent messages for Carter's 99th birthday is Bill Clinton, who thanked Mr. Carter for 'his service, friendship, and enduring embodiment of the American dream.' The Carter Center has collected people's wishes for the former president's birthday from around the world into a digital mosaic. This center is a human rights organization that Jimmy Carter established after leaving the White House to serve as his legacy. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family after a brief hospital stay last February. Rosalynn Carter, the former First Lady, has been diagnosed with dementia.