Ahead of his 99th birthday, a look at Augusta Chronicle front pages from Jimmy Carter's career

Caitlyn Stroh-Page and Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
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Former President Jimmy Carter's 99th birthday is Sunday, Oct. 1.

A celebration for Carter, the longest-lived U.S. president, is planned for Saturday on the Atlanta campus of the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum and the adjacent Carter Center. Carter entered hospice care in February, however, he made a brief appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival, a week ahead of his birthday.

Like many Georgia politicians, throughout his career — and even after his presidency ended — Carter made front-page news at the Augusta Chronicle.

For history buffs or those wishing to revisit the milestones of Carter's career, we have pulled together a gallery of some of the most notable times Carter was on the front page.

Below are a few highlights.

The happy couple: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter mark 77th wedding anniversary at home in Plains, Georgia

What did Jimmy Carter do before he was president?

The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on November 4, 1970, the day after Jimmy Carter won the Georgia governor race against Hal Suit.
The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on November 4, 1970, the day after Jimmy Carter won the Georgia governor race against Hal Suit.

Carter, who served as a state senator from 1963-1967, was elected governor of Georgia in 1970, defeating Republican nominee Hal Suit. He had previously run for governor in 1966, when he lost in the primary.

Before his political career kicked off, he was in the Navy, serving on active duty from 1946-1953. After that time, he was a peanut farmer.

When was Jimmy Carter president?

Carter announced his presidential campaign in December 1974, just shy of two years before the 1976 presidential election. At the time, he was largely considered a longshot with regional support.

The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on November 4, 1976, the day after Jimmy Carter sealed his win for the presidency.
The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on November 4, 1976, the day after Jimmy Carter sealed his win for the presidency.

Carter, and his running mate Sen. Walter Mondale, would go on to defeat incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford, winning the popular vote with 50.1 percent and receiving 297 electoral votes to Ford's 240.

Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in January 1977.

However, Carter lost re-election to Ronald Reagan, who won the 1980 president election in a landslide.

But wait, where even is Plains, Ga.?

Carter put the small town of Plains, Georgia on the national map.

The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on June 19, 1970, when Jimmy Carter told the story of growing up during the Great Depressions in Plains, GA.
The front page of the Augusta Chronicle on June 19, 1970, when Jimmy Carter told the story of growing up during the Great Depressions in Plains, GA.

Located in Sumter County in southwest Georgia, Plains is one hour southeast of Columbus and 45 minutes northwest of Americus.

Plains has a population of 553, as of the 2021 census. Carter and his wife Rosalynn currently live in Plains, which now hosts the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: From Georgia governor to Nobel Prize, a look at Jimmy Carter's career