Jimmy Carter turns 100

Jimmy Carter has become the first US president to reach 100.

The former President reached the milestone on Tuesday, outliving former President George H W Bush who died in November 2018 at the age of 94.

The occasion was marked by an outpouring of support for the centenarian, including birthday wishes from President Biden, as well as former Presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, in a video message shared to X by the Carter Centre Presidential Library.

“I have always admired President Carter for many things,” said Obama. “His accomplishments in the White House, his incredible impact since leaving office, his fundamental decency. Jimmy, thank you for your friendship.”

Born on 1 October 1924, the softly spoken peanut farmer was elected president of the US in 1976, a time when the country faced energy shortages, Cold War drama and the Iran hostage crisis.

Carter achieved numerous triumphs during his presidency, including brokering the historic Camp David peace accords in which Israel and Egypt officially recognised each other’s governments.

Carter would ultimately lose the presidency to Ronald Reagan in one of the biggest landslides in US election history.

After leaving office, he devoted himself to humanitarian and charitable endeavours. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.