Former President Jimmy Carter is about to turn 100: A look at his incredible life

America's oldest living president ever turns 100 years old this Tuesday. Jimmy Carter elected president for a single term in 1976, and may be even more famous as a global ambassador of goodwill. The birthday tributes have already started, celebrating a lifetime of service to others. The Carter family gave Armark Strassman a unique glimpse into his long life. That is a replica of the resolute desk that was in the Oval Office. Jason Carter says this is a television first. You're looking at his grandfather Jimmy Carter's private office at the Carter Center in Atlanta. What jumps out at you? This was not to be a museum. This was to be a place where you got work done. But you can also see he's got his Bible there. He's got his buttons. There's a Grammy. Carter is famously the peanut farmer from tiny Plains, Georgia, who became America's 39th president. He turns 100 on Tuesday. The question that everyone wants to ask is, how is he doing? He's very limited in what he can do. He can't talk on the phone. He's following the news. When we asked him, was he excited about his 100th birthday? He said, I'm excited about that, but I'm really excited to vote for Kamala Harris. How does he spend his days? He gets up most days, and he'll spend a little bit of time with family. When he's up and at them, he's up and at them. I, Jimmy Carter, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute. Most Americans alive today were born after Carter's one-term presidency ended in 1981. They may remember him more as humanitarian-in-chief. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, globetrotted for four decades. They built Habit Hat houses. They helped eradicate guinea worm disease. Time and again, they championed the underdog in forgotten corners of the globe. Those 40 years where he and my grandmother worked together on the issues that they cared about really are the fundamental part of their legacy. Rosalynn Carter died last year at 96, but you can feel her presence in this room. Do you have a favorite artifact in this room? For me, that rocking chair over there. It's this huge double rocker. It's just a beautiful piece, and they both loved it. Remarkably, the Carters were married for 77 years. The painting was intentional. Of course. That's his inspiration, right? He looks at my grandmother, and if you go to her office, you'll see that she has a similar portrait of him. They didn't want to be too far apart. Living to 100, a record for ex-presidents beats all odds. Carter beat cancer, too, telling this to Nora O'Donnell back in 2018. I called all my family together and told them that I was going to die quite soon. So I was prepared to go, but things turned out for the better. His family thought the end was near again last year. Carter went into hospice care in February of 2023. That was 19 months ago. Once again this year, the birthday tributes will pour in. Like this recent concert in his honor. A celebration in song for his centennial. Maybe he's 100, he's realistic. Sure. How does he want to be remembered? As someone who was honest, as someone who did what he thought was right, who stood up for human rights, and who respected people fundamentally. His 100th birthday will be America's turn to stand up for Jimmy Carter. For CBS Saturday Morning, Mark Strassman in Atlanta. Such a champion. I think about when Vidya Singh and I went to America's Georgia after his brain cancer diagnosis, to teach, well actually to watch him teach Sunday school. The fact that he was still going and had so much energy was remarkable. I think every president wants to know, what am I going to do next? What can I do to top this? And the service that he's put in, and that second legacy he established, is a guidepost for everyone. You think of presidents reach everyone, but in some ways, after his presidency, the personal touch that he had on so many people is truly remarkable, and the work the Carter Center continues to do.