Jimmy Carter laid to rest in Washington and Georgia. President-elect Donald Trump and former US President Barack Obama sat next to each other during the national service and conversed for a number of minutes, even laughing together.
At a funeral held at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, January 9, 2025, Jimmy Carter was
honored for his public service and personal humility prior to, during, and following his presidency. The
event included the kind of pageantry that the 39th president of the United States usually
avoided. An intimate hometown funeral was held close to his birthplace a century later.
In honor of Carter’s funeral, Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning. The New York Stock Exchange and the majority of federal agencies are closed, and flags will stay at
half-staff until later this month.
(Photo by Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images)
Born in Plains, Georgia in 1924, Carter served in the US Navy and later ran for Georgia governor in 1966 and 1970. His mixed record on race has drawn scrutiny since leaving office. During the 1960s, Carter remained mostly on the sidelines of civil rights issues, using controversial tactics to win support. In his inaugural speech as governor, he famously said “The time for racial discrimination is over,” which helped elevate him to national attention.
As president, Carter changed the federal judiciary, signed legislation to restrict racist mortgage lending practices, and created two Cabinet-level departments. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2023, Carter decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.
