Image source, Getty Images

Jimmy Carter is considered be to among the first international leaders to take climate change seriously.

In 1979, his administration installed solar panels on the roof of the West Wing following an an economic crisis in the wake of an embargo on Iranian oil.

The former president wanted to promote the use of solar energy amid the country's growing dependence on foreign oil.

The panels lasted for seven years as former President Ronald Reagan had them removed during his tenure.

Carter also wore jeans and sweaters in the White House, and turned down the heating to conserve energy. He also passed laws to protect millions of acres of unspoiled land in Alaska from development.

Image source, Getty Images

There are now just five surviving US presidents, but who is the oldest? Here's how they rank by age:

• Joe Biden, served 2021 - present, age 82
• Donald Trump, served 2017 - 2021 and president-elect, age 78
• George W Bush, served 2001 - 2009, age 78 (he is 22 days younger than Trump)
• Bill Clinton, served 1993 - 2001, age 78 (he is 44 days younger than Bush)
• Barack Obama, served 2009 - 2017, age 63

Image source, PA Media

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Jimmy Carter was an unlikely president with great achievements, but he remembers him most for his personal qualities.

"He was modest, unassuming. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who was his closest advisor, lived very frugal lives. He refused to take any money personally for speeches and everything he did after he became president. He was incredibly humble," Brown told the Today programme on BBC's radio 4.

"When you met him, he treated everyone equally, he was subservient to no one and he was condescending to no one."

Speaking about his time as president, Brown says Carter would have admitted that as an "unlikely candidate for president" that he was "not properly prepared to be president".

Brown adds that his achievements include striking a Middle East peace deal between Israel and Egypt, but points out he was "engulfed by problems" such as the first oil crisis and rampant inflation.

Former US Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley worked with Jimmy Carter post-presidency, during the first elections of the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s.

She was a diplomat serving in Gaza, and was tasked with setting up election observers, one team of which was led by Carter himself from the Carter Center.

"The centre set the standard for what election observers should be doing, the gold standard for that, and he had an impact on what the US government did and thought," she tells the Newsday programme on the BBC World Service.

Describing him as absolutely down-to-earth and straightforward, she says he put human rights "on the front burner" for the US and the world more broadly.

"He himself was very cognizant of his blessings and his successes and impact on the world."

Image source, Getty Images

Carter met US boxing legend Muhammad Ali several times.

In 1980, Ali went on a diplomatic mission to Africa to rally support for Carter’s boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

The mission was not a success as the Games went ahead anyway as planned.

Image source, PA Media

Carter attended a State Dinner at Buckingham Palace in 1977.

He reportedly broke royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips.

Image source, The White House

Carter was one of five living US presidents to line up during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

Image source, ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images

In 2007, Carter joined forces with Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and an anti-apartheid hero, to launch The Elders. The group of global leaders committed themselves to work on peace and human rights.

Above, they are shown with former UN chief Kofi Annan, during the launch of the group. It was also Mandela’s 89th birthday.

Image source, Getty Images

Carter had so much support from music stars like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers and Johnny Cash, he was nicknamed the rock 'n roll president.

Image source, Getty Images

Jimmy Carter was born in 1924 and grew up on the family peanut farm.

He entered politics and in 1970 was elected governor of Georgia, where he was a strong advocate for racial and gender equality.

Carter became US president in 1977, serving one term before losing to Ronald Reagan.

He founded the Carter Center, which works to promote human rights and resolve international conflicts, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. His wife, Rosalynn, who he married 77 years ago, died in November 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

China has offered its condolences over the death of Jimmy Carter, saying the former president was the "driving force" behind the establishment of diplomatic ties between both countries more than 40 years ago.

Under Carter, the US formally established diplomatic relations with Communist China in 1979, with Carter welcoming Deng Xiaoping to the White House – the first visit by a Chinese Communist leader to America.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, says Carter "made important contributions to the development of China-United States relations and the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries".

Meanwhile, Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, wrote in a post on X:

Image source, Getty Images

Two presidents, similar foreign policy challengespublished at 08:24 GMT 30 December 2024

08:24 GMT 30 December 2024

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden are separated by more than 40 years, but the foreign policy challenges the late president faced should be very familiar to the current White House occupant.

Carter grappled with the limits of American power, made painfully clear during the Iranian hostage crisis, when US embassy staff in Tehran were taken prisoner for more than 12 months.

The sense of American helplessness contributed to Carter’s defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980, with the prisoners’ eventual release coming just hours after Carter left office.

Biden had a similar dose of this cold reality during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which lowered the curtain on two decades of futile American nation-building there.

And more recently Americans watched a Chinese surveillance balloon drift across the continent - a visible symbol of what critics said was the inability of the US to monitor and defend its own skies.

Carter and Biden also were confronted by the territorial ambitions of global powers.

Carter was lambasted for inadequately responding to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - widely denounced for ordering a boycott by US athletes of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Biden has had greater early success countering the invasion of Ukraine, uniting allies in an effort to resist the Russian advance.

But as the war drags on, American resolve will be tested.

Extended bloody conflict turned Afghanistan into a cauldron of instability that eventually gave birth to Al-Qaeda and a global jihad.

The impact of the war in Ukraine could have similar unexpected and deadly consequences - all of which could be laid at Biden’s feet.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier this year, Jimmy Carter's grandson spoke about how excited his grandfather was to vote in the 2024 US election.

Speaking to BBC's 5 Live programme in October, Jason Carter said the former US president considered the "highest title he's ever had" was to be a citizen.

Jason shares that when Carter was asked whether he was excited to celebrate his 100th birthday, the former president said: "Yeah but I'm particularly excited about voting."

"My grandfather is such a normal person in many contexts. This is someone who takes me fishing and makes hotdogs on Saturday afternoons," Jason says.

"Even when I was kid, I would go visit my grandparents. It just so happened that, you know for Christmas, they lived in the White House."

Image source, NASA/JPL-Caltech

Nasa chief Bill Nelson describes the former president as a "pinnacle of a public servant, dedicating his life to making our world a better place" in a statement honouring his legacy.

Nelson adds that Nasa's Voyager 1 probe - the most distant human-made object from Earth - carries the following message from Carter:

"If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe."

Nelson adds:

Here are some more remarks from leaders around the world:

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says: "His significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel will remain etched in the annals of history, and his humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood"

• Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau describes Carter's legacy as "one of compassion, kindness, empathy, and hard work" and says "he served others both at home and around the world his entire life — and he loved doing it. He was always thoughtful and generous with his advice to me"
• Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino says Carter's White House stint was "crucial" for Panama in negotiating the 1977 treaty "which transferred the [Panama] Canal into Panamanian hands and made our country truly sovereign"
• Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro describes Carter as a "man of proven commitment to peace and dialogue", adding "his contributions to global politics and his dedication to peace have left an indelible mark on the world"
• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says: "President Carter rose from humble beginnings to leave a remarkable legacy. Beyond being elected to the presidency or being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Jimmy Carter's legacy is best measured in lives changed, saved and uplifted"

Image source, Getty Images

When he left office, Carter had one of the lowest approval ratings of any US president – but in subsequent years, he did much to restore his reputation.

Carter went on a peace mission to North Korea on behalf of the US government, which resulted in an early effort to reach an agreement on dismantling its nuclear arsenal.

His library, the Carter Presidential Center, became an influential clearing house of ideas and programmes intended to solve international problems and crises.

In 2002, Carter became the third US president, after Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, to win the Nobel Peace Prize - and the only one to earn it for his post-presidency work.

Tributes have been pouring in from world leaders to Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th US president from 1977 until 1981.

• In a post on X, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says "the world has lost a great mediator for peace in the Middle East and for human rights"

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Carter was "motivated by his strong faith and values" and that he "redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad"
• The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says Carter's leadership "contributed significantly to international peace and security" - and his commitment to peace continued after he left office
• French President Emmanuel Macron describes him as a "steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable", adding he has "tirelessly fought for peace"
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Carter is "a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom"

While Carter often is remembered fondly, his time in office was not without problems and controversies.

His popularity fell sharply when the US suffered an energy crisis in 1979 and the economy slipped into a recession the following year.

He tried to persuade Americans to accept stringent measures to deal with the energy crisis - including gasoline rationing - but faced bitter opposition in Congress.

Plans to introduce a universal healthcare system also struggled, while unemployment and interest rates soared.

However there were achievements, too.

His Middle East policy began in triumph in 1978, when Egypt formally recognised the state of Israel.

Image source, David Hume Kennerly / Getty Images

A year later, he signed the SALT Two agreement with the Soviet Union, setting limits for strategic arms.

But success abroad was short-lived.

His administration was severely tested with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the revolution in Iran, which led to 66 Americans being held hostage for more than a year.

When he left office, Carter had one of the lowest approval ratings of any US president.

He ran for re-election in 1980 and was beaten in a landslide by Republican Ronald Reagan.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Welcome back to our live coverage following the death of former US President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100 on Sunday.

Carter, who lived longer than any US President, died at his home in Plains, Georgia.

Carter rose from a peanut farmer to become president in 1977, before being forced out of the White House after just one four-year term when Ronald Reagan stormed to victory in the next election.

On Sunday, US and world leaders shared tributes to Carter with President Joe Biden said that "America, and the world, lost a remarkable leader". Biden finished his speech with praise for Carter's "decency".

King Charles III said Carter "devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights", adding that he "remembers with great fondness his visit to the UK in 1977".

Tributes have flooded in to former US President Jimmy Carter, whose death was announced on Sunday. We're pausing our live coverage now - here's a recap of the news and some of the main tributes:

• Former US President Jimmy Carter died at age 100 on Sunday afternoon. Known for his humble beginning in Georgia, he served as the 39th US president from 1977 until 1981, and was the longest-lived president in US history

• The former president was born on 1 October 1924 as James Earl Carter Jr, in the small town of Plains, Georgia. He died peacefully at home Sunday afternoon from various health problems
• His time in the White House was mixed with some success and fraught moments, especially in foreign policy. He left with a low popularity rating after losing a second term to Ronald Reagan in a landslide in 1980

• After leaving the White House, however, Carter did much to restore his reputation: working for peace, the environment and human rights, for which he was recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize
• On Sunday, US and world leaders paid tribute to Carter with President Joe Biden citing his ''decency'', King Charles III calling him a ''committed public servant'' and President-elect Donald Trump citing his hard work to ''make America a better place"
• Read his obituary here, or take a look back at Carter's life in pictures and video.

Just months ago, the Carter family celebrated the former president's 100th birthday.

To honour the occasion, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity - the housing charity Carter has worked with for 40 years - built 30 homes in Minnesota in October.

Several events were organised in Plains, the former Georgia governor's hometown, to mark the 1 October milestone, including a US naturalisation ceremony for 100 people from 30 separate countries.

A star-studded concert also was held in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month to celebrate the 39th president and to raise funds for the Carter Center.

"It was an incredible evening, full of good music and heartfelt tributes, and it made history as the first-ever 100th birthday celebration for a living American president," Carter said at the time.

The concert, which raised more than $1.2m (£900,000) also featured recorded messages wishing him well from other presidents.

DNC Chair Jamie Harrison was among the party members who mourned the loss of Carter.

In a statement, Harrison described the former president as a "man who exemplified what it means to serve on behalf on the American people".

The current leader of the Democratic Party said Carter was a "trailblazer on environmental policy and stood up for civil rights and desegregation in Georgia".

"We will continue to honor President Carter's legacy by being kind to our neighbors, leading with love, and continuing our fight for the American people," Harrison said.

Two presidents, similar foreign policy challengespublished at 01:51 GMT 30 December 2024

01:51 GMT 30 December 2024

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden are separated by more than 40 years, but the foreign policy challenges the late president faced should be very familiar to the current White House occupant.

Carter grappled with the limits of American power, made painfully clear during the Iranian hostage crisis, when US embassy staff in Tehran were taken prisoner for more than 12 months.

The sense of American helplessness contributed to Carter’s defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980, with the prisoners’ eventual release coming just hours after Carter left office.

Biden had a similar dose of this cold reality during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which lowered the curtain on two decades of futile American nation-building there.

And more recently Americans watched a Chinese surveillance balloon drift across the continent - a visible symbol of what critics said was the inability of the US to monitor and defend its own skies.

Carter and Biden also were confronted by the territorial ambitions of global powers.

Carter was lambasted for inadequately responding to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - widely denounced for ordering a boycott by US athletes of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Biden has had greater early success countering the invasion of Ukraine, uniting allies in an effort to resist the Russian advance.

But as the war drags on, American resolve will be tested.

Extended bloody conflict turned Afghanistan into a cauldron of instability that eventually gave birth to Al-Qaeda and a global jihad.

The impact of the war in Ukraine could have similar unexpected and deadly consequences - all of which could be laid at Biden’s feet.