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How Old Is Jimmy Carter? He’s Now the Oldest Living President

Former President Jimmy Carter sits down for a conversation with Mark Updegrove, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library, on the first day of the Civil Rights Summit at the LBJ Presidential Library April 8, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Ralph Barrera-Pool/Getty Images)

Former President George H.W. Bush has died at the age of 94. That news broke on November 30, 2018. How did Bush rank on the list of oldest presidents?

Bush was the nation’s oldest living president, and he lived longer than any president in U.S. history. He officially set the record as the nation’s oldest living president ever when he reached 93 years and 166 days.

That has some observers thinking about former President Jimmy Carter. Yes, he is still alive. Some people got a scare because his name trended on Twitter after George H.W. Bush died; however, that was only because a lot of people also started thinking about, and writing about, Carter.

How old is Jimmy Carter? Jimmy Carter is now the second oldest president in history, and he is currently the oldest living president. He, too, is 94, but he is younger than George H.W. Bush was at the time of his death. (Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan were the third and fourth longest living presidents in history.) John Adams and Herbert Hoover also lived past 90. Donald Trump was the oldest president ever to take office.

Jimmy Carter released the following statement on the passing of George H.W. Bush: “Rosalynn and I are deeply saddened by the death of former President George H.W. Bush. His administration was marked by grace, civility, and social conscience. Through his Points of Light initiative and other projects, he espoused a uniquely American volunteer spirit, fostering bipartisan support for citizen service and inspiring millions to embrace community volunteerism as a cherished responsibility. We again extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bush family.”

Former President George W. Bush released a statement on the evening of November 30, 2018 after news of George H.W. Bush’s death broke. It read: “Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died. George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.” The statement was released by Jim McGrath, the Bush family spokesman.

Here’s what you need to know:


George H.W. Bush & Jimmy Carter Were Both Born in 1924

Barbara Bush and George H.W. Bush in 2015. (Getty)

George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were born the same year, but Bush was a few months older. Carter was born on October 1, 1924, and Bush was born on June 12, 1924. Carter is 94, as was Bush when he died.

Jimmy Carter has had health issues over the years. At age 91, it was revealed that he “started treatment in August for melanoma that had spread from his liver to his brain,” according to Scientific American. However, he then revealed that a brain scan showed no sign of the cancer.

Carter has built houses into his 1990s for those in need. In 2017, Carter collapsed in Canada while working on a housing project but said he’s “OK,” according to media reports from that country. He was reportedly dehydrated. “President Carter was dehydrated, working in the hot sun. President Carter told us he’s OK, and is being taken off site for observation. He encourages everyone to stay hydrated and keep building… he’s asked us to continue with our day,” said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity CEO at that time.

Three of the nation’s living presidents were born in the same year: 1946. Former President Bill Clinton is 72. President Donald Trump is also 72. Bill Clinton was born on August 19, 1946. Trump was born the same year on June 14. George W. Bush is also 72; he was born July 6, 1946.

There are now five living presidents: Trump; George W. Bush; Clinton; Barack Obama; and Jimmy Carter. Barack Obama is 57; he was born August 4, 1961.


Gerald Ford was the Longest Living President Before George H.W. Bush

Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan both died at the age of 93 years. But Ford beat Reagan by 45 days.

Ford, who died on December 26, 2006, was 93 years and 165 days, reported AOL.com.

Reagan, who died on June 5, 2004, was 93 years, 120 days, according to AOL.

Donald Trump. (Getty)

At 70 when he was inaugurated, Donald Trump became the oldest president ever inaugurated on January 20, 2017, according to The Robinson Library.

Before Trump, the oldest president inaugurated was Ronald Reagan, who was 69-years-old. William Henry Harrison was 68, James Buchanan was 65, and George Herbert Walker Bush was 64.

The youngest presidents at Inauguration? The Robinson Library says they would be Theodore Roosevelt at 42; John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 43; Bill Clinton, 46; Ulysses S. Grant, 46; and Barack Obama, 47.

GettyGeorge H.W. Bush’s cause of death was not released but he had serious health issues in recent years.

A second statement released by McGrath said: “George Herbert Walker Bush, World War II naval aviator, Texas oil pioneer, and 41st President of the United States of America, died on November 30, 2018. He was 92 and is survived by his five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and two siblings. He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Barbara; his second child Pauline Robinson ‘Robin’ Bush; and his brothers, Prescott and William or ‘Bucky’ Bush. Funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as is practical.”

Despite the bad blood between President Donald Trump and the Bush family during the presidential election, Trump has lauded former president George H.W. Bush as an authentic man with an “unwavering commitment” to faith, family, and country in the wake of Bush’s death. You can read President Trump’s full statement about Bush here.

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Jimmy Carter is now the oldest living president following the death of former President George H.W. Bush. How old is Jimmy Carter?