President Jimmy Carter, America's 39th president, was laid to rest last January 9, 2025, at the age of 100.
The nation's longest-lived president, Carter, is well-known for his humanitarian causes, including his steadfast dedication to Habitat for Humanity. He was still a regular on job sites while battling cancer, routinely seen hammering nails as he had for decades.
While President Carter's humanitarian and charitable efforts are well documented, there are a number of facts about the late president that many are just hearing about for the first time.
President Carter's pursuit of knowledge began long before he assumed the highest office in the land. Prior to taking office, Carter filed a report with the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, or NICAP.
In the report, Carter stated that he had seen an object hovering over the horizon in Leary, Georgia, before it vanished. His unusual sighting likely contributed to his campaign promise to release every unsealed document on UFOs, which did not occur due to security concerns.
Of the list of things you'd not want to do, being lowered into a nuclear reactor is one of them, but that's exactly what happened to Jimmy Carter in 1952.
As one of his duties in the Navy, Carter was dispatched to help repair a damaged reactor in Chalk, Ontario. He was exposed to radiation levels so powerful that they were detected in his urine later on.
After returning to Plains, Georgia, in 1953, Jimmy and his family moved into a new public housing project due to a postwar power outage that impacted their living situation.
This firsthand experience is believed to have inspired his interest in Habitat for Humanity.
Who says the president does have time to kick back and enjoy a movie, or 400?
Between the years of 1977 and 1981, President Carter watched more than 400 films, an average of about 100 per year! Some of the movies included Caddyshack and Star Wars .
This would not generate much attention these days, but a presidential candidate sitting down with Playboy in 1976 was absolutely unheard of.
Jimmy Carter upended the political landscape by doing exactly that, revealing that he had "committed lust" in his heart.
We, here at Ripley's, hope you were able to learn something new about America's 39th president. Just to be sure, we thought we would provide you with one more outstanding fact. Did you know that Jimmy Carter personally signed a Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon about himself?
Don't miss out on The Bizarre History of White House Pets, and check out a behind-the-scenes look into our JFK collection.
If you're looking for more presidential history in person, Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday” dress remains on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood.
Visit to get an up-close look at this historical garment along with other memorabilia from Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
January 16, 2025
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Robert Ripley began the Believe It or Not! cartoon in 1918. Today, Kieran Castaño is the eighth artist to continue the legacy of illustrating the world's longest-running syndicated cartoon!
