James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924 – December 29, 2024) He was an American politician who served from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, Carter served from 1963 to 1967 in the Georgia State Senate and from 1971 to 1975 as the 76th governor of Georgia. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to live to age 100.