Happy anniversary! Former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter marked their 77th wedding anniversary on Friday, July 7. The couple remains the longest-married presidential couple in history after first reaching the achievement in 2020, per USA Today. The Carter Center, the non-profit started by the two of them, shared a post celebrating their anniversary on Twitter. “Wishing Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter a joyful 77th wedding anniversary! The Carters married on this day in 1946 in their hometown of Plains, GA,” the organization wrote along with a photo from their wedding.
The couple’s love has endured for over seven decades, and they opened up about how they made their marriage last for so long in plenty of interviews. Jimmy revealed his secrets to a successful marriage in a 2017 interview with Bill and Melinda Gates. He said to give each other space, get together when they can, and don’t go to bed angry. “It’s a full partnership,” Jimmy said of their relationship in a 2021 interview with The Associated Press.
The pair’s anniversary comes in the midst of a difficult year for both Jimmy and Rosalynn’s respective health. The Carter Center shared a statement in February announcing that the former president would receive hospice care after his brain cancer has spread. “After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers,” the organization said.
Months after the Carter Center announced that the former president would receive hospice treatment, the organization shared that Rosalynn had been diagnosed with dementia. “She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones,” they wrote in a statement.
The Carters are the presidential couple who have been married the longest. Prior to them, the longest-married presidential couple had been former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, who were married for 73 years when Barbara died at 92 in August 2018. George died months later at 94 in November of that year. Besides being the couple who has been married the longest, Jimmy is the longest-lived president, followed by Bush. Jimmy and Rosalynn have four children, eight grandchildren, and many more great-grandchildren.