US President Joe Biden has designated Thursday, January 9, as a national day of mourning to honor former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.
Biden directed flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days across the United States, including the White House, public buildings, military installations, naval vessels, and diplomatic posts abroad. In a statement, he encouraged US representatives overseas to follow suit.
“Jimmy Carter was a leader who embodied peace, human rights, and selfless service,” Biden said. “I call on the American people to gather in places of worship on Jan. 9 to pay homage to his legacy. I also invite people worldwide who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.”
In his statement, Biden pledged an official state funeral for Carter, with details forthcoming from the Joint Task Force–National Capital Region. Public memorial events will also take place in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., as announced by the Carter Center.
Carter, the longest-lived president in American history, spent over a year in hospice care before passing away at his home in Georgia.
His death came two years after the death of his wife, Rosalynn Carter in November 2023.
Born in 1924, Carter rose from a peanut farmer in Plains to become the 39th President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.
His contributions earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”