Former US President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100. Biden declared a day of mourning

Former US President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was overshadowed by the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, has died at the age of 100.

“Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by family,” the Carter Center said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden said in his statement that “America and the world have lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”

Biden said he would arrange for a state funeral in Washington, though he has not yet set a date.

Biden also declared January 9 a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter, calling on Americans to visit their places of worship to “pay respect” to the late American leader.

President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his social platform Truth Social that “Jimmy’s challenges as president came at a critical time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”

Carter, who served only one term as US leader, is also known for brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, and later won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work and efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

But it was the Iran hostage crisis that defined Carter’s presidency from 1977 to 1981.

This crisis, and Carter’s failure to resolve it, dominated the United States news throughout 1980, a presidential election year. He was easily defeated in the fight for re-election by Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who inspired the Republican Party with his good looks and economic policies.

In a final insult to Carter, Iran decided to release the hostages on January 20, 1981, the day Carter left office and Reagan was inaugurated as president.

PHOTO GALLERY: Archive photos: 40 years ago, the US embassy was seized in Iran, hostages were held for 444 days