Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter’s Relationship Timeline

President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn Carter have the longest marriage in the history of U.S. presidents.

The couple, who met when Jimmy was 3 years old and Rosalynn was a newborn, celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary on July 7, 2022. The Carters have four children, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

The Carters shared a slew of ups, downs and adventures together during their marriage — including several Navy deployments, a presidential campaign and subsequent time in office, co-authoring books, managing his family farm and building houses around the globe with Habitat for Humanity.

President Carter told his mother he wanted to marry Rosalynn after their first date. The couple remain bonded by their shared passion for service, and they’re as smitten as ever since becoming nonagenarians.

“The best thing I ever did was marrying Rosalynn,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner said in a 2015 interview. “That’s the pinnacle of my life.”

From their childhood in Georgia to the White House and beyond, here’s what to know about Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s relationship.

August 19, 1927: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter meet

How many people can say they met their soul mate within their first 24 hours on this planet? Jimmy and Rosalynn first met when he was 3 years old and she was just one day old, according to NPR. Their parents were close friends and neighbors, and Jimmy’s mother, Bessie Lillian Carter, helped deliver Rosalynn, according to Biography.com. In fact, one of Rosalynn’s sisters is named Lillian after Jimmy’s mother.

The pair grew up in Plains, Georgia, and Rosalynn became good friends with Jimmy’s sister Ruth.

Summer 1945: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter go on their first date

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While 20-year-old Jimmy was home for the summer before starting his final year of college in Annapolis, Maryland, his plans with another girl fell through. He ran into his sister’s best friend Rosalynn, then 17 and home after her first year in college, and invited her to the movies on the spot.

The Carters don’t remember what movie they saw on their first date, but they do remember being smitten.

“I just felt compatible with her. She was beautiful and innocent, and there was a resonance,” Jimmy told writers Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas for their book What Makes A Marriage Last. “We rode in the rumble seat of a Ford pickup — Ruth and her boyfriend in the front — and I kissed her on that first date. I remember that vividly.”

In a poem from his 1995 book Always a Reckoning, Jimmy recalled his feelings on his and Rosalynn’s first date, writing, “I’d pay to sit behind her, blind to what / was on the screen, and watch the image flicker / on her hair.” After their first date, Jimmy told his mother that he was going to marry Rosalynn.

May 1946: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter get engaged

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The Carters’ romance proceeded at a whirlwind pace following their first date, even after Rosalynn and Jimmy each went back to school. In winter 1945, less than a year after their first date, Jimmy proposed to Rosalynn. She said no because she wanted to focus on her education, but in May 1946, he popped the question again and she said yes. Jimmy gifted Rosalynn a compact engraved with “ILYTG,” an acronym for the Carter family’s saying, “I love you the goodest.”

“Now all our children do the same thing — ILYTG on the phone or in emails,” Jimmy said. “They generally just put the initials. And sometimes they change the initials and make you guess what they’re talking about.”

July 7, 1946: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter get married

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter on election night in 1976.

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Jimmy and Rosalynn tied the knot on July 7, 1946, at the Plains Methodist Church in their hometown of Plains, Georgia. The wedding took place mere weeks after Jimmy graduated from the Naval Academy. The newlyweds moved to Norfolk, Virginia, shortly after their nuptials for Jimmy’s first naval assignment. The family would move several times in accordance with his military postings, including to California, Hawaii, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

July 3, 1947: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter welcome their first baby

Just before their first wedding anniversary, Jimmy and Rosalynn welcomed their first child, son John William “Jack” Carter, on July 3, 1947, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Jack later served in the Vietnam War and ran for Senate in 2006.

April 12, 1950: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s second son is born

Jimmy and Rosalynn’s second child, son James Earl “Chip” Carter, was born on April 12, 1950, in Honolulu, where Jimmy was stationed in the Navy.

August 1952: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter welcome their third son

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Jimmy and Rosalynn’s son Donnel Jeffrey “Jeff” Carter was born in New London, Connecticut, in August 1952.

July 22, 1953: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter move back to Georgia after his father dies

On July 22, 1953, Jimmy’s father, James Earl Carter Sr., died from pancreatic cancer at age 58. Upon his father’s passing, Jimmy left the Navy for his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to work on his family’s peanut farm.

It was a rough patch for his and Rosalynn’s marriage, as she’d enjoyed life as a Navy wife. Jimmy later recalled that Rosalynn didn’t speak to him for the entire drive from Schenectady, New York, where they’d been stationed, to Plains. For her part, Rosalynn told the New Yorker that she felt “resentful” of Jimmy’s decision to uproot their family.

The decision to go back to the farm ended up being a good one for their marriage and for Jimmy’s eventual political career — it solidified the couple as a team. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn told the Associated Press. “I knew more on paper about the business than he did. He would take my advice about things.”

November 5, 1962: Jimmy Carter is elected to the Georgia State Senate

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Jimmy was elected to the Georgia State Senate on Nov. 5, 1962, following an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate. Jimmy credited Rosalynn with his political successes, telling the Associated Press, “My wife is much more political.” He didn’t ask her permission to run for office, but knew she wouldn’t mind.

October 19, 1967: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter welcome their daughter Amy Lynn

Jimmy and Rosalynn welcomed their fourth child and only daughter, Amy Lynn, on Oct. 19, 1967, in Plains, Georgia. She would later grow up to be a political activist and children’s book author.

November 3, 1970: Jimmy Carter is elected governor of Georgia and Rosalynn begins mental health advocacy

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Rosalynn campaigned tirelessly for Jimmy, and their hard work paid off when he won the Georgia gubernatorial election on Nov. 3, 1970. Upon his inauguration, Rosalynn began her work on destigmatizing mental illness and raising awareness of mental health, as well as championing other causes as the state’s first lady.

“Jimmy gave me the confidence to do things I was afraid of,” Rosalynn said of her time as Georgia’s first lady. “I remember when we were in the Georgia governor’s mansion, I used to greet tourists and talk to everybody who came through. One day, Jimmy told me I was going to have to make a speech. I was so nervous, and he said, ‘Why don’t you just do what you do at the governor’s mansion when you’re talking to the tourists?’ So I made the speech with no problem, ran to the telephone and called Jimmy to say, ‘I did it!’ I did it because I had to do it.”

November 2, 1976: Jimmy Carter is elected President of the United States

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Jimmy won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 2, 1976, thanks in part to further campaigning from his wife. Rosalynn visited 40 states, earning her the title of Jimmy’s “secret weapon.” In 1976, she told PEOPLE that she actually preferred campaigning solo for Jimmy. “We can reach twice as many people this way,” she said. “I’ve made as many as 12 speeches a day in one community. I enjoy it. But sometimes I want to stop and wash my hair.”

The pair maintained their teamwork during Jimmy’s single-term presidency, with first lady Rosalynn focusing on mental health initiatives.

November 4, 1980: Jimmy Carter loses his reelection bid

Rosalynn was devastated when Jimmy lost his reelection campaign to Ronald Reagan on Nov. 4, 1980, with Jimmy recalling that she actually took the defeat harder than he did — but that they eventually made lemonade from those lemons.

“I searched for good things about not being reelected, to ease her pain,” he said. “I was just 56 years old, I told her, and she was just 53, so we had at least 25 years of life ahead of us. That’s when the Carter Center was born. It has been a wonderful challenge.”

May 12, 1987: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter publish Everything to Gain

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The Carters co-wrote Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life. The couple said their memoir, released on May 12, 1987, was one of the most difficult endeavors they ever collaborated on because their work styles were so different.

“He’d quickly write a chapter in an afternoon, so I knew that it had to be a draft, but I’d work and work on my chapters until they were perfect,” Rosalynn told PEOPLE. “I didn’t want him to touch them.”

Jimmy added, “The thing is, we would agree on 97 percent of what we wrote, but then there was 3 percent we didn’t agree on. Or I might have found something humorous that she thought was very serious.” The couple said they’d leave each other angry letters on their word processor, with Jimmy recalling, “It was breaking up our marriage.” Thankfully, an editor saved their work and home life.

1984: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter begin working with Habitat for Humanity

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In 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn, who’d previously worked with Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, passed by a New York City building site and rounded up volunteers for the Big Apple chapter of the organization. The couple went on to build houses all around the U.S., including in areas devastated by hurricanes like Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina and New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy, and around the world.

October 2014: Rosalynn Carter shares the secret to a happy marriage with Jimmy Carter

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In a 2014 interview with PEOPLE, Rosalynn explained that she and Jimmy each having their own separate interests helps keep their love alive.

“I’d say space [is the secret to a lasting marriage]. One of the hardest times was when we came home from the White House,” she said. “It was the first time we’d been together in the house all day every day. So I got my office in what was a bedroom, and his is in what was the garage.”

August 13, 2015: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter work throughout his cancer treatment

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On Aug. 12, 2015, Jimmy and Rosalynn announced that Jimmy had liver cancer that had spread to other parts of his body — and just a day later, family and friends of the former president said that he and Rosalynn would be fine. Jimmy had undergone surgery a few days earlier to remove a small mass in his liver.

“They’ll get through this,” Jimmy’s cousin Betty Pope told PEOPLE. “And I’m sure he will go as long as he can and continue to do what he’s been doing. They’re already planning a big family Christmas with the kids and grandkids — 27 of them in Plains all week.”

December 6, 2015: Jimmy Carter’s cancer is gone

On Dec. 6, 2015, Jimmy Carter announced that his liver cancer was gone. “My most recent MRI brain scan did not reveal any signs of the original cancer spots nor any new ones,” he said in a statement. “I will continue to receive regular 3-week immunotherapy treatments of pembrolizumab.”

Jimmy soon returned to teach Sunday school at his church and included his cancer diagnosis in his lesson. After praying, Jimmy realized that he was “completely at ease” with death. He even joked that he and Rosalynn only plan one year ahead in advance because they’re “decrepit.”

August 2018: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter give an inside look at their modest life in Georgia

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In 2018, Jimmy and Rosalynn revealed what a day in the life was like for the pair. The couple, who live in the same two-bedroom home in Georgia that they did before he was elected president in 1976, engage in separate activities in the morning — Jimmy likes painting, swimming, building furniture or hanging out in his study, while Rosalynn likes meditation and tai chi — then make their own yogurt and watch Atlanta Braves games or Law & Order together.

March 22, 2019: Jimmy Carter becomes the oldest living president

At 94 years and 173 days old, Jimmy Carter became the oldest living U.S. president, surpassing the record previously held by George H. W. Bush. “He and Mrs. Carter take walks, and they have followed a healthy diet for a lifetime,” a Carter Center spokesperson said. “Both President and Mrs. Carter are both determined to use their influence for as long as they can to make the world a better place, and millions of the world’s poorest people are grateful for their resolve and heart.”

July 7, 2019: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrate 73 years of marriage

In 2019, Jimmy and Rosalynn marked their 73rd wedding anniversary. The following day, the Carter Presidential library shared a photo from the couple’s wedding. “Yesterday was Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter’s 73rd anniversary!” the tweet said. “He was 21, she 18, when they were married in Plains on 7/7/46. [Did you know] she rejected his 1st proposal? ‘She promised her father, on his deathbed, to finish college & would not marry until then.’ ”

October 2019: Jimmy Carter credits marrying Rosalynn for his longevity

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After surviving cancer and several other health setbacks, including a fall that required stitches and a broken hip during a turkey hunt, Jimmy said that his marriage is part of why he’s otherwise been in great health.

“It’s hard to live until you’re 95 years old,” he told PEOPLE. “I think the best explanation for that is to marry the best spouse: someone who will take care of you and engage and do things to challenge you and keep you alive and interested in life.” He added, “I think both mine and Rosa’s minds are almost as good as they used to be, we just have limited capability on stamina and strength. But we still try to stay busy and do a good job at what we do.”

It’s a good thing too — in the same month, he was hospitalized for a fractured pelvis and again the following month for a subdural hematoma.

May 11, 2020: Jimmy Carter agrees that space is key to a happy marriage

In Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas’ What Makes a Marriage Last, Jimmy said, “We found out a long time ago that disagreements are inevitable between two strong-willed people. But we decided early on to give each other plenty of space. If Rosalynn is interested in something, she does it her own way, accepting my help when she needs it. And she gives me plenty of space to work on my own projects but helps me when I need it. We also look for things to do together.”

July 7, 2020: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter mark 74 years together

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Jimmy and Rosalynn marked their 74th anniversary on July 7, 2020. “Jimmy has always thought I could do anything,” Rosalynn said in What Makes a Marriage Last. “Always. And so I’ve done everything. I campaigned all over the country. I’ve done things I never dreamed I could do.”

July 2020: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter urge Americans to mask up to prevent COVID-19

Days after their 74th wedding anniversary, Jimmy and Rosalynn posted selfies wearing face masks, urging their followers to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple released a statement through the Carter Center asking fellow Americans to donate to local community groups fighting the pandemic and its effects.

“As you are well aware, our country is facing a health crisis. Though the behaviors of COVID-19 are not fully known, what we do know makes it a global threat to our physical and economic health,” the statement read. “We all have every confidence that we will come together as a nation and overcome this invisible threat. This virus and its impact must be addressed at every level of government and society. Each of us is gratified at the examples of volunteers and community organizations that have quickly mobilized to help those in need. Each of us asks you to concentrate on the needs of your family, friends, neighbors, and all in your community. Your commitment will help stop this threat.”

February 14, 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter go back to church after getting vaccinated

In addition to advocating to stop the spread of COVID-19, Jimmy and Rosalynn did their part and got vaccinated against the virus. In February 2021, the couple returned to Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, after getting their doses of the vaccine.

The Carters sat masked in the front row as Pastor Tony Lowden highlighted the couple’s attendance. “One good announcement I’ve been asked to make is that for the last two Sundays — last Sunday and this Sunday — Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter have been back in service and so let’s welcome them back,” Lowden said before joking that if social distancing protocols weren’t followed, the Secret Service would “tackle” any offenders.

July 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter say faith and fun are key to their lasting marriage

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Ahead of their 75th anniversary, Jimmy told Good Morning America that the secret to his and Rosalynn’s marriage is having lives separate from one another while balancing shared interests.

“We’ve survived this long together because first of all, we give each other plenty of space to do our own thing,” Jimmy said, adding that they share plenty of common interests.

Rosalynn chimed in, “We’re always looking to do things or find things we can do together, like fly fishing and bird watching and just going out to the pond, catch a fish.”

Jimmy also noted the importance of their faith in their marriage, noting that they read the Bible together nightly, even if they aren’t physically together in the same place.

“When I’m overseas and Rose is at home, we know we’re reading the same biblical text,” he explained. “And even though we’re separated physically, it makes us think about the same scripture and admonition from God, direction from God, before we go to sleep, so it helps a lot.”

Another important lesson? They never go to bed angry.

July 7, 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrate their platinum anniversary

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The Carters marked 75 years of marriage with a tweet from the Carter Center.

“#75YearsAgo today these two kids tied the knot and forged a bond that cannot be broken,” the Carter Center captioned a wedding photo of the couple. “They are now also the longest married presidential couple!”

Their grandson Jason Carter remarked of the big day, “The number of things that have to go right in your life to have a 75th anniversary — it’s a truly incredible milestone.”

July 10, 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have a star-studded 75th anniversary party

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More than 300 friends and family members, including former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Ted Turner, celebrate Jimmy and Rosalynn’s 75th wedding anniversary party on July 10, 2021.

“It’s wonderful to celebrate with so many friends. It’s just so good to have you all here and I thank you for making it a good evening, a good time for us to be here and to be with friends we care about very much,” Rosalynn said.

Jimmy said in a brief speech of his own, “To my wife Rosalynn, I want to express a particular gratitude for being the right woman that I chose for my wife.”

The Clintons paid tribute to the Carters with a photo on Hillary’s Instagram, while Brooks and Yearwood gifted the couple a red convertible built in 1946 — the year the Carters tied the knot.

August 2021: Trisha Yearwood dishes on the convertible she gifted Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

Yearwood told People (The TV Show!) how she and husband Brooks decided on the Carters’ 75th anniversary present.

“What do you give these guys? I can’t imagine the gifts they’ve received,” Yearwood said. “Garth was like, ‘Why don’t we get him a car from the year they married?’ So that’s what we went on the hunt for to find it.”

Yearwood recalled searching online and finding several red convertibles, while Brooks helped make the final decision. “I found several and then I turned it over and this came back to be the one that was the most likely to actually run and right,” she said.

Brooks and Yearwood bonded with the Carters through their mutual work with Habitat for Humanity.

“They’ve been such role models to us ever since we met them probably 12 or 13 years ago when we started doing Habitat builds with them,” Yearwood said of the Carters. “And they’re just the example of who you want to be. They served our country but then beyond that what they’ve done in the world and how they’ve helped people globally, they’re the example of what to be.”

October 1, 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrate his 97th birthday

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Jimmy quietly celebrated his 97th birthday at home with Rosalynn in Plains, Georgia, a Carter Center rep told PEOPLE.

November 25, 2021: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have a small Thanksgiving celebration

Jimmy and Rosalynn’s rep told PEOPLE that the couple would have a “quiet day in Plains” for Thanksgiving 2021.

October 1, 2022: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter‘s charity honors him on his 98th birthday

The Carters celebrated another milestone on Oct. 1, 2022, when Jimmy turned 98 years old, marking the highest age a former U.S. president has ever reached.

In honor of his birthday, the couple’s charity, The Carter Center, created an online bulletin board where well-wishers left messages of appreciation. (The nonprofit had created a similar celebration for Rosalynn’s 95th birthday in August.)