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Why former President Jimmy Carter always returned to Plains, Georgia
Plains, Georgia, occupied a significant position in the affections of former President Jimmy Carter.
Former President Jimmy Carter lived for a century, achieving numerous milestones both globally and locally in Georgia. While many will recall his professional feats as a president or his personal efforts as a humanitarian, there exists an array of amusing facts and entertaining anecdotes that some may be unaware of.
Here are 5 of the most fascinating and unusual ones:
Jimmy Carter appeared on “Home Improvement”
One of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s was “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen’s initial major undertaking. Carter made a short appearance in season 3, episode 18. In this episode, Tim Allen’s character Tim Taylor and his spouse race to see who can construct a house more quickly as part of Habitat for Humanity, an entity Carter has ardently supported. Carter features at the end of the episode in a broadcasted message to the Taylors.
“Tim…what can I express?” Carter stated. “Crews are laboring tirelessly to fix what you’ve constructed.”
Interested in viewing the episode? It’s accessible on Disney+ and Hulu.
Smiling Peanut
A 13-foot tall “Smiling Peanut” monument was introduced in 1976 by the Indiana Democratic Party as part of Carter’s presidential campaign. It signifies a link to Georgia’s renowned crop while displaying a smile reminiscent of Carter’s demeanor. The peanut is fashioned from solid foam layered over a series of metal hoops fortified with chicken wire.
It has changed locations over the years, but presently resides in Plains at 120 Buena Vista Rd. The roadside attraction also carries an intriguing local tale: there exists a hole in the rear that was fashioned by the Secret Service to ensure there were no lurking assassins or explosives concealed in the peanut.
Jimmy Carter observed a UFO
One of the most enduring and peculiar tales associated with Carter involves the incident where he claimed to have seen a UFO. While the precise dates of the sighting are ambiguous, the narrative indicates that following a dinner over 50 years ago, Carter stated he and several others witnessed an unidentified object in the sky:
“A sort of green light emerged in the western sky. This was just after sunset. It intensified and grew brighter. Eventually, it vanished. It didn’t possess any tangible form, merely a very unusual light. None of us could comprehend what it was.”
Carter elaborated in a separate interview years later that, while it was indeed an unidentified aerial object, he did not necessarily imply a flying disc or something of that sort.
“It was unrecognized as far as we were concerned, but I believe it’s improbable, in my view, although some may disagree, for extraterrestrial beings from other planets or stars to visit,” he stated.
Jimmy Carter: “Rock & Roll President”
As Variety described, Carter is remembered as the quintessential music-loving president. He was not just an admirer of prominent artists like the Allman Brothers and Bob Dylan, but they were also admirers of him. The strong connection Carter had with music and musicians was highlighted in a documentary titled “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” (available for viewing on Max). In the documentary, Carter chuckled while he disclosed that when Willie Nelson visited the White House, he smoked marijuana with one of his sons.
Jimmy Carter missed the opportunity to be valedictorian
During his graduation from Plains High School in 1941, Carter was expected to be valedictorian but lost that opportunity because he missed a day of school. It was reported that he went to watch a movie on April Fool’s Day in Americus with some fellow senior boys. Carter received zeros for that day and ended up as the salutatorian instead.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Journalist for Gannett/USA Today. Follow him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and reach out via [email protected].
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