Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer who rose to become the 39th President of the United States during an era marked by gas shortages, Cold War tensions, and the Iran hostage crisis, passed away on Sunday at the age of 100.

Carter, the longest-living president in U.S. history, died in Plains, Georgia, the town of his birth, after nearly two years in hospice care.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in November 2023 at the age of 96. The former president is survived by his four children—Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy—along with 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. One grandchild also preceded him in death.

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said his son Chip Carter. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

The Carter Center announced his passing with a brief statement: “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia.”

In a recent update, Carter’s grandson Jason noted that the former president was “experiencing the world as best he can” despite being mostly unresponsive in the weeks leading up to his death.

Jimmy Carter was sworn in as president on January 20, 1977, after defeating Republican Gerald Ford, who faced backlash for his decision to pardon President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. Although Carter served only one term, losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980, his presidency was marked by significant achievements, including the landmark Camp David Accords, which facilitated peace between Israel and Egypt.

“Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood,” Carter famously stated.