10 Things to Know About Jimmy Carter

Now that he’s endorsed Obama, get to know Carter.

Southern Son - Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Ga., to his parents James Earl Carter Sr., a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. He attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and received a bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Jimmy Carter - Eight years after Martin Luther King Day was proposed to Congress to become a federal holiday, the 39th president, President Jimmy Carter, proclaimed Jan. 15, 1973, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to honor the slain Black leader.(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Habitat for Humanity - Since 1984, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have donated one week a year of their time to Habitat for Humanity. The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is held at a different location around the world each year and helps to raise global awareness of the need for affordable housing. (Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Open Critic - Although Carter is supporting another Obama White House, he hasn’t shied away from criticizing President Obama’s policies, calling the use of drone strikes to target terrorists a “widespread abuse of human rights.” (Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)Jimmy Carter - In 1977, Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th president of the United States of America. (Photo: Brian Alpert/Keystone/Getty Images)

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Prolific and Presidential - Carter is the author of 27 books, including several memoirs and books about spirituality. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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