Military flyover for Carter as former US leader turns 100

Jimmy Carter is celebrating his 100th birthday, becoming the only US president to reach the centennial mark.

The former peanut farmer will spend the day in the home that he and his late wife Rosalynn built in Plains, Georgia in the 1960s.

Mr Carter returned post-office to the rural town - with a population of approximately 600 - and has remained a steady and celebrated presence there since.

The celebrations will include a lunch with 20 members of his extended family, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.

The onetime Georgia governor, who announced that he was going into hospice care more than 19 months ago, no longer regularly appearrs in public. His last trip out was to see Independence Day fireworks in July.

"We are thrilled that the president from this little town is going to be the only president to ever live to be 100 years old," said Jill Stuckey, superintendent of the US National Park Service's Jimmy Carter historical site and longtime family friend.

She spoke from Plains High School, where Mr Carter graduated in 1941 and now serves as the visitors center for the national park that features sites from his early life, such as the nearby peanut farm where he grew up.

The school will hold a concert featuring local and other musicians but also a naturalisation ceremony for 100 people.

A military flyover is also planned, including four Navy F-18s, which Mr Carter should be able to see from his home.

Ms Stuckey said this is particularly fitting since he worked on the US Navy's nuclear submarine programme, rising to the rank of lieutenant.

President Joe Biden led tributes to his predecessor, describing Mr Carter as "a moral force for our nation and the world" in a video statement on CBS over the weekend.

"Your commitment to a better world, and your unwavering belief in the power of human goodness continues to be a guiding light for all of us," Mr Biden said.

Beyond serving as president for a single term from 1977 to 1981, Mr Carter worked as a global mediator, rights activist and elder statesman, founding the well-respected Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy.

His White House term included the 1978 Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt, establishment of diplomatic relations with China following a resumption of relations initiated by president Richard Nixon, and return of control of the Panama Canal to Panama.

But his administration hit numerous snags, including the Iran hostage crisis and an oil crisis in 1979-1980.

A devout Baptist and self-described "born-again" Christian, Mr Carter is remembered for a moralistic streak, but also admired even by his detractors.

"Healthy habits and his faith are a lot of the reasons why he is still with it today," Ms Stuckey said, referencing his strong liking for fresh food and exercise.

According to family, Mr Carter remains keenly interested in politics and was highly motivated to make it to 100 to vote in next month's election for fellow Democrat Kamala Harris.

"He will be voting by mail-in ballot," Ms Stuckey said, adding that "he's always been very politically active, and nothing has changed with that respect."

In Plains, like in many rural places with strong evangelical Christian leanings, far more signs support Republican Donald Trump than Ms Harris.

But it is also not uncommon to see a sign celebrating Mr Carter's centennial birthday next to one supporting Mr Trump.

Carl Lowell, who has lived in the town all his life, said he tries not to get involved in politics because it is "so divisive" right now.

Like most residents of the town, he is linked to Mr Carter in various ways. He says his grandfather helped build the Carters' house and that he himself even went dove hunting with the former president once.

"Jimmy's a good man, he's a godly man, and that's what people like about him," the 59-year-old retired firefighter said.

For 72-year-old Inez Battle, Mr Carter's work establishing the Boys and Girls Club in Plains is particularly meaningful.

He did it, she said, specifically for the community's African American children "to have somewhere to go and learn after school."

Ms Battle, a board member of the organisation, remembers fondly how he would attend meetings, saying: "Instead of him saying we'll do this, he would ask your opinion".

As for his 100th birthday, Ms Battle said: "It's a blessing".