Jimmy Carter's Life

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter was born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia. Carter grew up on a peanut farm. He left home to attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland where he studied nuclear physics and graduated in 1946. That same year, Jimmy Carter married Eleanor Rosalynn Smith. He served in the Navy for seven years and returned home to run the family business. Jimmy served on the school board and educational advisory boards. He was a strong advocate for Civil Rights. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served one term in the Senate. He ran for Governor of Georgia and won. Jimmy was nominated by the Democrats to run for President of the United States against Gerald Ford in 1976 and he won. As President he established diplomatic ties with China and helped to write the Camp David Accords; as peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. He helped negotiate the Salt II treaty with Russia. During his administration Carter was criticized for the poor economy. In 1979, a group of Iranian took the staff of the U.S. Embassy hostage. Efforts to negotiate the release of the fifty-two hostages in Iran consumed the later half of his term. Carter was not successful and this was perceived as weakness and made him unpopular. Jimmy was defeated by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. He was only fifty-six when he left office in 1981. After his administration, Carter started the Carter Center to introduce democracy throughout the world. He won the Nobel Prize in 2002. He is the only President to win the Nobel Prize after his term as President. He is still living today. Note: Carter was President from 1977 through 1981 and the Vice President was Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale.