With the death of former President Jimmy Carter yesterday, the White House has announced a national day of mourning for the Georgia Democrat and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Carter, who died at the age of 100, will be remembered on January 9, as many other former presidents have been treated after their deaths. However, the day will not be a national holiday.
Newsweek contacted the Carter Center and the White House for comment on this story via email.
Why It Matters
Carter served as the 39th president of the U.S., spending one term in the White House before being defeated by Ronald Reagan decisively in 1980. He was the oldest living president, as well as the first person in the office to reach the age of 100.
If there was a federal holiday to commemorate Carter’s death, non-essential U.S. federal government offices would be closed, while federal employees would still be paid for the day off.
What To Know
The White House has announced that Carter will be honored with a national day of mourning on January 9, continuing the tradition of recognizing former presidents’ deaths. However, the day, a Thursday, will not be a federal holiday.
Carter will also receive a state funeral, carried out in Washington, which is another tradition following the deaths of former presidents. Other significant political figures have also received a state funeral, such as former Arizona Senator John McCain.
Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his post-presidential work, described by the prize committee as “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
Carter is survived by four children, Jack, James, Donnel and Amy, along with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
What People Are Saying
President Joe Biden said: “I do further appoint January 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States. I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.”
What Happens Next
Preparations for Carter’s state funeral will continue throughout the new year in the leadup to January 9. The day of mourning is expected to see politicians from different sides of the aisle stand side-by-side, including President-elect Donald Trump.
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