Jimmy Carter Still Kisses His Wife Of 76 Years Goodnight Every Night

Oct 10, 2022

James Earl Carter Jr., known as former President Jimmy Carter,  was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Prior to being president, Jimmy was a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. 

Jimmy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his dedication to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights and promoting economic and social development. He achieved these goals through his work with The Carter Center, founded in 1982. The Carter Center is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing human rights. 

Jimmy, now 98, has lived in Plains, Georgia, his entire life. He was born at the Wise Sanitarium, the hospital where his mother worked as a nurse, which makes him the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. Back in the 1920s, Plains was a boomtown of around 600 people. His father, James Earl Carter Sr., owned a general store and invested in farmland. 

When he was a U.S. Naval Academy student, Jimmy met his future wife, Rosalynn, in 1945. After he proposed, Rosalynn said no at first because of a promise she made to her father that she would wait to marry until she graduated college. She kept that promise and married Jimmy in 1946 after graduating from Georgia Southwestern College. They would go on to stay married for a staggering 76 years in 2022, proving perhaps that there are, in fact, soulmates. 

Rosalynn was born Rosalynn Smith in 1927 in the same town where she and Jimmy were born and now live. According to author and Carter biographer Jonathan Alter, Jimmy met Rosalynn just a few days after she was born as his mother, a nurse, helped deliver Rosalynn. Jimmy’s mom brought the then-3-year-old boy to visit the baby.

Their love story is fittingly sweet for a couple that’s been together for more than seven-and-a-half decades. Rosalynn first knew of Jimmy through his sister Ruth, with whom she was friends. She said Ruth would talk about her brother constantly, and Rosalynn admitted she “literally did fall in love” with a picture of Jimmy hanging in their house.

When the future 39th president finally did ask Rosalynn out, he later told The Washington Post that, after their first date, he had told his mother he was going to marry her. The couple was then married on July 7, 1946. Jimmy was 21 years old, while Rosalynn was only 18. 

These days, the couple lives a simple life back in a farmhouse valued at $167,000, “less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles parked outside,” the Post noted. Read on to find out the secret behind the couple’s long-lasting love, how they appreciate each other, and the simple joys of life after the White House.

Rosalynn’s daily rituals include practicing tai chi and meditating while Jimmy writes or takes a dip in the pool. Every once in a while, they’ll gear up for an activity together.

It seems one of the ingredients to the strength of the Carters is their drive to stay active and involved, regardless of their age. Despite being in his 90s, Jimmy has remained active, often volunteering. He has continually defied the expectation of an aging president, contributing to the construction of an astounding 21 homes via Habitat for Humanity in 2018

Back in their own home, it seems the Carters hold a similar mentality, leading a wholesome existence defined by handiwork. There's always something being made on their homestead, be it yogurt, a piece of furniture, or a painting. The couple even whips up pancakes, cooked on a good old fashioned griddle, using blueberries grown on their property. Jimmy also heartwarmingly writes poetry for Rosalynn.

After decades together, Jimmy attributes his long life to his wife. He admitted, “It’s hard to live until you’re 95 years old … I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse: someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life.”

However, it's not all crafts and hobbies in the Carter household. The two still find time for romance, even at their age. Speaking with PBS NewsHour, the couple spoke about their habits and home honored traditions, which have given their marriage its lasting strength. Jimmy, sweetly, relayed how the two "give each other a kiss before (they) go to sleep." We should all be so lucky to have such a blissful union.

What memories do you have of this first family? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, as well as any fans of the Carters!