The romance between former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, is like something out of a fairy tale, and it demonstrates that the two of them were destined to spend the rest of their lives together.

They have been married for 76 years, have four children, and have each served as president for four years, but they have not lost their love for one another. Here are the specifics on the courtship of the longest-married presidential pair, including the difficulties they encountered while traveling together, as well as his alleged “adultery.”

Jimmy was born in October 1924 and spent his childhood in and near Plains, Georgia, a little town with a population of approximately 600 people in the middle of the 1920s. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother was a nurse.

In 1927, Jimmy’s mother assisted in the delivery of Rosalynn, the first child of their neighbors. One day after Rosalynn was born, Jimmy’s mother took her son, who was three years old at the time, to see the newborn.

Rosalynn revealed this information many years later when she stated that Jimmy “peered through the cradle bars and saw her.” They had no idea at the time, but they were destined to spend the rest of their lives together.

After Rosalynn’s father passed away when she was 13, her family went through some difficult times. She got a job to assist the family in meeting their financial obligations. Despite this, she was a very good student who graduated near the top of her high school class and went on to achieve her father’s dream of attending college by continuing her education.

Despite the fact that Rosalynn Carter was friendly with Ruth Carter, Jimmy’s younger sister, during the years that Jimmy and Rosalynn were separated by three years, nothing amorous occurred between the two of them. In 1945, a shift occurred in the dynamic of their relationship.

While Jimmy was away from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, he had a date planned with a beauty queen from the state of Georgia. However, she was unable to go because she had to attend a family gathering.

He presented her with an engraved ring box and asked her to marry him, but she declined.

Even though he was set to return to Annapolis for “another spell of seclusion,” he was still interested in going out on a date. As he navigated the streets of Plains, he came across Rosalynn and Ruth standing in front of the Methodist church.

Jimmy was captivated by her for a variety of reasons. She accepted his invitation to go to the movies that he had planned for her. When his mother found out about his date, she questioned him about how he felt about Rosalynn, and he responded as follows:

“”She is the one that I am going to marry,” he said. I was aware that she preferred to keep to herself, that she was very intelligent, and that she was stunning. There was simply something about her that made it impossible to resist her charms.”

When Rosalynn, who was then 17 years old, saw Jimmy walking around Plains in his white uniform after he had become a navy officer, she developed a crush on him. Ruth was aware of this, and she plotted to have her brother ask Rosalynn out on a date.

Rosalynn paid Jimmy a visit at the Naval Academy less than a year after they went on their first date together. He presented her with an engraved ring box and asked her to marry him, but she declined. After several months of mourning and persistence, he made another proposal, and this time, she accepted. They tied the knot in July of 1946.

The marital lives of Jimmy and Rosalynn have been everything but smooth sailing. Because he was in the military, they had to relocate frequently and travel a lot. John, their first child, was born in 1947 in the city of Portsmouth, in the state of Virginia.

James “Chip” III was born into the family in the year 1950, while the couple was residing in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the year 1952, they brought home their third son, Donnel, and in the year 1967, they welcomed their youngest child, Amy Lynn, into the world in the state of Georgia.

Rosalynn claims that the middle of the 1950s was the most difficult time in their marriage. [Citation needed] Jimmy’s father passed away in the year 1953. Even though Rosalynn was already accustomed to living in Schenectady, New York, he relocated his family to Plains so that he could take care of the family peanut business.

She was certain that the most enjoyable period of her life had come to an end when they moved back to Plains, particularly due to the fact that she was unable to locate a role that would put her on an equal footing with Jimmy. Fortunately, she took control of the farm’s finances and was instrumental in turning a profit for the operation.

Many individuals believed that he had employed phrases that “don’t sound presidential.”

Jimmy launched his career in politics in the 1960s by successfully running for and winning a seat in the Georgia State Senate. In 1971, he was elected as the Governor of Georgia, and in 1977, he was elected as the President of the United States. Rosalynn’s unwavering support for him throughout the years was never wavering.

In November 1976, shortly before Jimmy Carter was elected president, Playboy magazine published an interview with him in which he discussed the significance of his religious beliefs in his life. This interview caused the presidential couple to gain widespread media attention. He said:

“Christ made this statement to his disciples: “I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.” I’ve had lustful thoughts about a lot of different women. Many times, I’ve been guilty of committing adultery in my heart.”

It is important to note that Jimmy only acknowledged gazing at other women with longing, but he never indicated that he cheated on his wife. This is an important distinction to make. Nevertheless, the interview was surprising.

People thought that he used terms that “don’t sound presidential,” yet his honesty helped him win the election against Gerald Ford. His opponent had been the incumbent president.

They have been married for 76 years, yet Jimmy, who is 98, and Rosalynn, who is 95, are still head over heels in love. On New Year’s Eve 2021, the former President of the United States, who still gets embarrassed when talking about his wife, was seen sharing a kiss with Rosalynn.

The pair was in Plains to celebrate the “peanut drop” on its yearly anniversary. While Jimmy watched the event from his car, Rosalynn watched it from outside the venue on the street. Nevertheless, she hurried back to the truck to greet her husband as soon as she got there.

Later on in that year, Jimmy and Rosalynn divulged one of the keys to their long-lasting and happy marriage: space. Regarding the “policy” that they came to an agreement on, Jimmy stated:

“We are quite good about giving each other plenty of space to pursue our individual interests. In addition to this, we look for activities that both of us enjoy doing together and make an effort to focus on such activities.”

They’ve gone skiing, bird watching, fly fishing, and played tennis together, just to name a few of the activities they’ve done together. As a result of all of that, they found out that they had a great deal in common that they could do together.

Both Rosalynn and Jimmy make it a point to put their differences aside before retiring for the night. They have “frequent” arguments, but they make every effort to patch things up before going to bed. What a sweet and charming couple!