On August 18, 2022, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter celebrated her 95th birthday alongside her husband of 76 years, former President Jimmy Carter. Together, the Carters hold the record for being the longest-married presidential couple in history. The couple lives a low-key existence in Plains, Georgia, and they don’t make much use of their popularity for anything other than contributing to humanitarian organizations. Rosalynn’s birthday was honored in a manner that was consistent with their way of life, which consisted of gathering close friends and family together.

Rosalynn was given the name Rosalynn Smith at the time of her birth in 1927. Both she and Jimmy were born and now reside in the same town. Author and Carter biographer Jonathan Alter asserts that Jimmy Carter first met Rosalyn only a few days after Rosalynn’s birth since Jimmy’s mother was a nurse and assisted in the delivery of Rosalynn. When Jimmy was just three years old, his mother took him to see the newborn baby.

The pair has been together for more than seven and a half decades, and their love story is as charming as the longevity of their relationship would suggest. The first time Rosalynn heard about Jimmy was via their mutual acquaintance Ruth, who is Jimmy’s sister. She said that Ruth would continuously speak about her brother, and Rosalynn revealed that she “actually did fall in love” with a photo of Jimmy that hung in their home. She added that Ruth would talk about Jimmy frequently.

Towards the future 39th president had finally worked up the courage to ask Rosalynn out on a date, he subsequently revealed to The Washington Post that, after the conclusion of their first outing together, he had informed his mother that he intended to wed Rosalynn. The next day, July 7, 1946, the pair tied the knot. Rosalynn was just 18 years old, but Jimmy had already reached the age of 21.

According to the magazine, the couple now leads a more uncomplicated existence at the farmhouse they previously owned, which has a worth of $167,000 and is “less than the value of the armored Secret Service trucks parked outside.” Continue reading to discover the key to this couple’s everlasting love, how they show appreciation for one another, and the simple pleasures of living after serving in the White House.

Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter relocated returned to Plains, Georgia, their hometown, after Jimmy’s time as President of the United States came to an end in 1981 as a result of Ronald Reagan’s victory over him in the presidential election of 1980. The Carters have made the decision not to cash in on their post-presidential lives by delivering speeches or appearing at events, in contrast to the practices of other former presidents who have done so. They exclusively travel for the purpose of serving their charitable organization, the Carter Center, which works to advance democracy, raise awareness about illnesses, and provide assistance to those struggling with mental health problems.

You may find the pair on the Plains participating in their own hobbies the most of the time.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Jimmy, who was sitting next to his wife at the time, said that the couple’s longevity as a couple is due, in large part, to the fact that they “give each other lots of freedom to do our own thing.” Meditation and tai chi are two of Rosalynn’s regular routines, which Jimmy often joins her for while he works on his writing or goes for a swim. They get into the habit of participating in activities together every once in a while.

Rosalynn said, “We’re always seeking to do things or discover things we can do together, like fly fishing and bird watching and just walking out to the pond, catch a fish,” she said in the same interview. “We’re always looking to do things or find things we can do together.”

On July 7, 2021, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, making them the longest-married presidential couple in history. The late George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, who were married for 73 years, held the record for the longest marriage in the United States before. In a tweet that accompanied a vintage photo of Jimmy Carter dressed in a blue dress and Rosalynn Carter beaming from ear to ear, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library characterized their connection as one that “cannot be destroyed.” On this momentous occasion, Jimmy presented Rosalynn with a diamond necklace with a design of the number “75,” and he and Rosalynn hosted a reception at a nearby school for their friends and family.

Rosalynn has been a strong supporter of a variety of causes, including those pertaining to women’s rights, caregiver rights, mental health, and access to vaccines. Additionally, she has contributed to the advancement of environmental concerns and end-of-life care, in addition to working with her husband for the charitable housing organization Habitat for Humanity. As a result, it should not come as a complete surprise that those affiliated with the Carter Center and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers have begun a campaign to honor the tremendous achievements of the former First Lady. On the occasion of her 95th birthday, they asked the general public to express their enthusiasm for Mrs. Carter by using the hashtags #MrsCarterMakingHistory and #95thBirthday.

“Mrs. Carter has never been one to follow the crowd,” they said. “Whether it was bringing caregiver issues to the national stage, fighting mental health stigma, or advancing women’s rights, Mrs. Carter is a trailblazer,” Dr. Jennifer Olsen, chief executive officer of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, said in a statement. “The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers is honored to have Mrs. Carter as our honoree.”

Paige Alexander, the chief executive officer of the Carter Center, shared similar thoughts and said the following in the same statement:

“Mrs. Carter’s leadership, vision, and kindness have had a beneficial influence on millions of people across the globe, in addition to millions of individuals in the United States. She was a trailblazer in the sense that she advocated for concerns and policies and established resources to address them decades before they became prevalent in society. The stigma associated with mental illness has been reduced because to her efforts, which have become more important in the lives of people today.

Rosalynn intended to celebrate her landmark birthday in a low-key manner at her home in Plains, surrounded by the people she cares about the most, and most likely receiving a “ILYTG” message from those who are in the know. While the well-wishes pour in online, the celebration Rosalynn had planned would take place in private.

“‘I love you more than anything in the world.’ Jimmy revealed this fact to People in 2014 when he said, “That’s what my mother and daddy used to say back and forth, and I picked it up with Rosa.”

“These days, all of our children do the exact same thing, which is to ILYTG over the phone or in their emails. In most cases, they will just put the initials,” Jimmy continued.