Pardon of Vietnam War draft evaders (1977)
Issued on his first full day in office
US Presidents · 20th century
Jimmy Carter
1924–2024 · American
Democratic
In office: 1977–1981
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, the 39th president, was a peanut farmer and Governor of Georgia who brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. His presidency was troubled by inflation, an energy crisis and the Iran hostage crisis, and he lost to Ronald Reagan in 1980, but his long post-presidency of humanitarian work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died in December 2024 aged 100, the longest-lived US president.
How to spot them
- ▸Peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia
- ▸Camp David Accords; the Iran hostage crisis
- ▸The 'malaise' (crisis of confidence) speech
- ▸Nobel Peace Prize 2002; Habitat for Humanity; the Carter Center; first president to reach 100
In office
The Panama Canal Treaties (1977)
Agreed to hand control of the canal to Panama by the end of 1999
The Camp David Accords (1978)
Peace framework between Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin
The 'crisis of confidence' (malaise) speech (1979)
Televised address on the national mood during the energy crisis
The Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981)
52 Americans held for 444 days after the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran
Boycott of the Moscow Olympics (1980)
Protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Operation Eagle Claw (1980)
Failed military attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran
Key ideas
- Put human rights at the centre of US foreign policy
- Created the Departments of Energy (1977) and Education (1979)
Quick-fire facts
- •39th president; born in Plains, Georgia, in 1924
- •A US Navy submarine officer who worked in the nuclear submarine programme under Hyman Rickover
- •Governor of Georgia (1971–1975)
- •The hostages were released minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration in January 1981
- •Founded the Carter Center (1982), which led efforts to eradicate Guinea worm disease
- •Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002
- •Famous volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
- •Won Grammy Awards for recordings of his audiobooks
- •Became the first president to reach 100 and died on 29 December 2024, aged 100
Drill it — 8 cards
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Sources
- Miller Center, University of Virginia — Jimmy Carter
- The Nobel Prize — Jimmy Carter – Facts