Twit16

Life and Times of Jimmy Carter

By yungbluthm

  • Born

    Born
    Born in the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia. Fun fact: was the first president to be born in a hospital.

  • Graduated High School

    Graduated High School
    Carter graduated high school in 1941 from from a tiny high school in his home town. Fun fact: Carter would have been valedictorian had he not played hookey shortly before school ended his senior year.

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    Jimmy Carter married Rosalynn Smith in the summer of 1946. Fun Fact: they had three sons; John William, James Earl III, and Donnel Jeffrey, and a daughter, Amy Lynn.

  • Graduated College

    Graduated College
    Graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Fun fact: Carter joined the Navy because of his uncle Tom Gordy, who was in the Navy and sent the Carters many postcards of exotic places. Carter graduated in the top 10% of his class.

  • Father's Death

    Father's Death
    Earl Carter, Jimmy Carter's father, lost his battle with cancer in 1953. Worried about his family losing the farm, Carter quit the navy and moved back home.

  • Senate

    Senate
    Carter ran for and won a seat in the Georgia State Senate. Fun fact: Carter lost the election, but it was soon discovered that his opponent had fradulent votes, the votes were thrown out after an appeal, and Carter was given the seat.

  • Governor

    Governor
    After defeating his republican opponent, and with the help of many rural farmers, Carter won the place of Georgia's governor in 1970. Fun fact: The leading newspaper in the state, the Atlanta Constitution, described him as an "ignorant, racist, backward, ultra-conservative, red-necked South Georgia peanut farmer."

  • Author

    Author
    Published his first book, "Why Not the Best?" in 1975, which was a biographical view of his political standings. Fun fact: since then, Carter has written numerous books on such topics as faith, aging, post presidency life, poetry, and even a childrens' book.

  • Presidency

    Presidency
    Carter began campaigning for presidency in 1974, and finally succeeded in 1976 against Gerald Ford. Fun fact: Carter won the election because he was an "outsider." After the wars, people were leery of a well-known president, and Carter provided fresh blood into the White House.

  • Loss of Presidency

    Loss of Presidency
    Carter was voted out of office in the 1980 elections by Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. Fun fact: it was the worst defeat of any president incumbent since that of Herbert Hoover in 1932.