Here is a look at the life of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States.

Personal: Birth name: James Earl Carter, Jr.

Birth date: October 1, 1924

Birth place: Plains, Georgia

Father: James Earl Carter Sr., a farmer and businessman

Mother: Lillian (Gordy) Carter

Marriage: Rosalynn (Smith) Carter (July 7, 1946 - present)

Children: Amy Lynn, 1967; Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), 1952; James Earl III (Chip), 1950; John William (Jack), 1947

Education: Georgia Southwestern College, 1941-42; Georgia Institute of Technology, 1942-43; US Naval Academy, B.S. 1946

Military: US Navy, 1946-1953

Other Facts: Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital.

Carter volunteers extensively with Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds houses for the homeless.

Champion of human rights, especially in regard to the governments of South Korea, Iran, Argentina, South Africa, and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

Timeline: 1953 - Works on his own farm in Plains and operates Carter's Warehouse, a general-purpose seed and farm supply company.

1962 - Wins election to the Georgia Senate.

1966 - Runs for governor and loses to Lester Maddox.

1970 - Runs for governor a second time and wins - is inaugurated as Georgia's 76th governor on January 12, 1971.

1974 - Serves as the Democratic National Committee campaign chairman for the 1974 congressional elections.

December 12, 1974 - Announces candidacy for president of the United States.

November 2, 1976 - Elected as the 39th president of the U.S.

January 20, 1977 - Inauguration.

November 4, 1979 - The U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran is stormed and diplomatic staff are taken hostage. Carter's inability to successfully negotiate release of the hostages became a major political liability. The hostages are released on January 20, 1981, the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration.

1982 - Becomes a professor at Emory University in Atlanta.

1982 - Establishes the Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter Center initiatives include monitoring international elections, fighting third world diseases, and seeking international peace.

August 9, 1999 - Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for an American civilian.