Jimmy Carter Biography

1946: Graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland

1946/1953: Served as Naval Officer (After two years of service on experimental radar and gunnery vessels, he switched to submarines and worked with the nuclear submarine program directed by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. He took courses in nuclear physics and reactor technology at Union College, New York.

1953: After his father's death (he died of cancer)in 1953, he returned to Plains.

He also began to get involved in civic and church affairs. He makes a name for himself by being the only person locally to refuse to join the racist White Citizens' Council. He also started to take an interest in elective office.

1962: Entered state politics.

1966: Announced his intention to run for the US Congress. He lost the nomination to a segregationist Lester Maddox. But in 1970, he was successful.

1971: He was elected Governor of Georgia (he reorganized the government, implemented a number of public sector reforms, increased the number of black people appointed to public office and he traveled a lot (10 overseas visits) to promote trade and informe himself about other countries.)

December 1974: He served as chairman of the National Democratic Party 1974 Campaign Committee. He announced his candidacy for President. He began a 2 year campaign.As his running mate, he chose Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota. Carter made a very hard campaign against President Gerald R.Ford. Jimmy Carter won by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Gerald R. Ford.

1976: He won his party's nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and was elected president on Nov. 2, 1976.

During his years in the White House, he reached noticeable goals: he obtained Senate approval (by one vote) for the Panama Canal Treaty, restoring the Canal to Panama.

1978: He hosted a meeting at Camp David (with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachim Begin of Israel), resulting in the Camp David Agreement in which both signed up to a peace framework. The Camp David Agreement produced a temporary increase in popular support, but his standing soon fell back to low levels.

The fall of the Shah of Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused particular difficulties. It highlighted the incapacity of the US government to do much about either.

The consequences of Iran's holding Americans captive, although he continued the difficult negotiations over the hostage, contributed to Carter's defeat in 1980.

Iran finally released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office.

Since leaving office, Carter has worked internationally, fighting hunger and poverty through a variety of non-profit organizations. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his years of humanitarian work.

His many books include Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility (1984), the Middle East study Blood of Abraham (1985), Living Faith (1996), the controversial Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006), and the memoirs Keeping Faith (1983) and Hours Before Daylight (2001).

For many years Carter taught Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.