The honor is headed by Joe Biden and Donald Trump

Joe Biden and Donald Trump honored the memory of former US President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100.

Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, died Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.

Biden described him as “a man of principle, faith and humility,” while Trump said all Americans owed Carter a “debt of gratitude.”

Carter grew up as a peanut farmer and became president in 1977 before being forced out of the White House after just one four-year term when Ronald Reagan won the next election.

After leaving the White House in disrepute, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work that won him the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.

“For all young people in this country and for those seeking what it means to live a purposeful and meaningful life — a good life — study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, loyalty and modesty,” they added.

“He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good nation—decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”

President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: “Jimmy’s challenges as president came at a critical time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.

“We all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

World leaders also paid tribute to Carter.

King Charles III said that “his dedication and humility were an inspiration to many and I remember his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977 with great fondness.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “motivated by his strong faith and values” and that he “redefined the presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter “was a leader who served at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, but his heart was firmly with us in our ongoing struggle for freedom.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “a staunch defender of the rights of the most vulnerable and fought tirelessly for peace.”

Before becoming president in 1977, Carter, a Democrat, was the governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US Navy and a farmer.

Carter’s presidency will be remembered for his difficulty in dealing with pressing economic problems and a series of foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis that ended with the deaths of eight Americans.

However, there was a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in the United States.

But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly elected Republican Ronald Reagan, who portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and near-record high interest rates.

Carter lost the 1980 election in a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington, DC.

After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the home he lived in before politics, a modest two-bedroom ranch-style home.

He chose not to engage in the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals that most former presidents expect, told the Washington Post in 2018that he never wanted to be rich.

Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to solve global problems of inequality and disease.

He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to realize his vision of global diplomacy, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts with the foundation to advance human rights around the world.

He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders committed to working for peace and human rights.

Carter is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

His wife, Rosalyn, to whom he was married for 77 years, died in November 2023.

Announcing his death, Carter’s son Chip said his father was “a hero not only to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love.”

“My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these shared beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together.”

As of 2018 and the death of George W. Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president.

Last year, Carter stopped treatment for an unknown illness and instead began receiving hospice care at home. He had health problems, including melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain.

Another important tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on his time with Carter, saying “he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”

Maranoff Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school in his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays,” Obama said.

“But President Carter will never be far away – buried next to Rosaleen by the willow tree down the road, his memory calls us all to listen to our better angels.”

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke about Carter’s faith.

“President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end,” they said in a statement.