Weekend-long Celebration Marks President Carter’s 99th Birthday
By Angela Tudico | National Archives News
Guests attend a celebration in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum on September 30, 2023. National Archives photo by Tony Clark.
Guests enjoy birthday cake in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum on September 30, 2023. National Archives photo by Tony Clark.
Guests write birthday messages to President Carter on the windows of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum on September 30, 2023. National Archives photo by Tony Clark.
On October 1, 2023, 99 new American citizens were sworn in at a special ceremony in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday. Photo by Michael Schwartz.
One of the 99 new American citizens sworn in at a special ceremony in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday on October 1, 2023. Photo by Michael Schwartz.
On October 1, 2023, 99 new American citizens say the Pledge of Allegiance during a special naturalization ceremony in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday. Photo by Michael Schwartz.
American flags were passed out at the naturalization ceremony held in honor of President Carter's 99th birthday on October 1, 2023. Photo by Michael Schwartz.
ATLANTA, October 4, 2023 — America’s longest living former President, Jimmy Carter, turned 99 on Sunday. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum celebrated the occasion with a whirlwind of activities held in his honor.
More than 1,000 guests participated in the festivities, which included 99-cent admission as a nod to the former President's birthday. Attendees signed cards at a birthday card station and even enjoyed birthday cake.
The activities hosted by the Library and Museum included a viewing of All the President’s Men, the first film Carter watched during his time at the White House, and opportunities for guests to learn about Carter's childhood in Plains, GA, in the 1920s. A crafting station was inspired by the crafts and toys he and other children would have played with at the time, such as finger puppets and corn husk dolls, and games like marbles and jacks.
“We were over the moon to see how much the community connected with these nods to Carter’s childhood,” Museum Technician Emily Curl said. “Some adults came especially to make their own Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter finger puppets! I loved seeing kids determined to master jacks and tell stories about their very own corn husk dolls.”
Curl went on to describe the joyous and celebratory atmosphere of the day.
“The most striking theme of the day was the personal connection that our guests feel when it comes to the Carters. I could not walk 30 feet without being stopped by an individual that had a story to tell about the way the Carters positivity impacted their lives,” Curl said. “Joy, hope, love, and humility were central to many of these recollections and reflect their incredible work. One woman cried as she told me that she came to the United States in 1976 and that Jimmy Carter will always be her ‘first and favorite President.’”
A naturalization ceremony took place on Sunday in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Surrounded by friends and family, 99 new American citizens were sworn in. Museum Curator Sylvia Naguib, herself a naturalized citizen, opened the ceremony with welcoming remarks.
“Surely, the day that I was naturalized was one of the proudest days of my life,” Naguib said. “To officially become part of this great country was and is something that I never take for granted, and it is so meaningful for me to be part of that day for others.”
During the ceremony, the teary-eyed new citizens sang "America the Beautiful" and waved American flags.
In addition to the naturalization ceremony, the birthday celebration carried on at the museum, which is typically closed on Sundays, 99-cent admission returned for Sunday, and activities continued.
“We had to be open to support the outpouring of love and admiration that people worldwide have for former President Carter. Statistics say less than 1 percent of Americans will live to be 99. How could we not celebrate his life's accomplishments and open our doors to anyone who wanted to participate in the celebration?" said Library Director Meredith Evans. "Former President Carter has spent the majority of his life helping others. He is the oldest living President and the country's longest living President. Thousands of supporters sent letters, emails, and gifts to the former President, and we at the library received a few.”
The Carter Presidential Library and Museum is located in Atlanta. Visit jimmycarterlibrary.gov to plan your visit.