Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, was a bestselling author in a wide range of genres. His stories drew from his own experience, the lives of his loved ones and the causes he fought for his whole life.

The peanut farmer from Georgia was a virtual unknown when he launched his long-shot 1976 presidential bid that took him from “Jimmy Who?” to his inauguration as the nation’s 39th president.​

Current President Joe Biden, who was a senator when Carter ran for president in 1976, offered a eulogy Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. Carter's casket will be flown to Georgia for a private family service after Thursday's public event.