President Joe Biden declared Jan. 9 as a national day of mourning in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, 2024 at the age of 100. His state funeral took place this morning at the Washington National Cathedral.
“President Carter was a man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history,” Biden said in a statement following Carter’s death.
“I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance,” Biden said.
The US Postal Service suspended regular operations today and all federal departments and agencies are closed. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq aren’t trading; bond markets are closing at 2 p.m. Flags will remain at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds for 30 days.
“Jimmy Carter, with humble roots as a farmer and family man, devoted his life to public service and defending our freedom,” said Lynn Martin, President of NYSE Group. “During his noteworthy post-presidential life, President Carter left an enduring legacy of humanitarianism. The NYSE will respectfully honor President Carter’s lifetime of service to our nation by closing our markets on the National Day of Mourning.”
In a rare occurrence, all five of the country’s living presidents — Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald J. Trump — were together in one place. Biden gave the eulogy, as did the sons of Gerald Ford and Walter Mondale, who delivered eulogies written by their fathers before they died, according to reports and livestreams.
Federal offices and stock markets closed on previous days of mourning following the deaths of former Presidents George H. W. Bush in 2018 and Gerald Ford in 2006.
A former peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, Carter was a Georgia State Senator (1963 to 1967), the 76th Governor of Georgia (1971 to 1975), and served one term in the White House (1977 to 1981). He is the longest living president and the first to reach 100.
After politics, he devoted his life to charity and was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition of his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
He and his wife Rosalynn were married for 77 years and had four children. They were active in Habit for Humanity and helped facilitate its national growth. Together, they founded The Carter Center in 1982 in partnership with Emory University. The non-profit, nongovernmental organization based in Atlanta works to improve people’s lives in more than 80 countries. The center also houses a traditional presidential library.
