Get the cake and 100 candles. Tuesday, Oct. 1 is former President Jimmy Carter’s birthday. Like anyone who has served as commander in chief, his legacy is etched in US history — but Carter will become the first president to live to 100.
Born on Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, GA, Carter was elected the 39th president of the United States and served from 1977 to 1981. Throughout his life + career Carter traveled across the US, and of course, he found time to visit the Tampa Bay area on a few occasions. These visits include:
- Dec. 14, 1975 — During his campaign, Carter attended a luncheon at Sertoma Club in St. Petersburg.
- March 7, 1976 — Jimmy Carter visited Lowry Park two days before the primary election. During this trip, he shook hands and enjoyed a fish fry with locals.
- Oct. 18, 1976 — While campaigning for the presidency, Carter returned to Lowry Park before continuing to Miami.
- Aug. 30, 1979 — Carter held a town hall meeting at Thomas Jefferson High School and discussed the energy crisis of the 1970s.
- Oct. 10, 1980 — Spectators lined the streets of St. Petersburg as Carter drove through for a campaign stop.
Carter also stayed at the Belleview-Bitman Hotel, now the Belleview Inn, in Belleair. The exact date is unknown, but it likely predated the 1980s.
To celebrate the milestone birthday, Carter’s nonprofit The Carter Center is inviting people to upload photos and messages celebrating his legacy to help build a virtual mosaic. This display is a reference to a speech Carter delivered in 1976 where he described the American population as a “beautiful mosaic.”
