‘Happy birthday Mrs. Carter’: Georgia and the nation celebrate former First Lady turning 96

ATLANTA — UPDATE: Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter died on Nov. 19 at age 96. The former president and his family were by her side at the time of her death. Former President Jimmy Carter remains in hospice care.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Georgia, the nation, and the world are saying happy birthday to former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who just turned 96 on Friday.

The former first lady and President Carter are celebrating at home in Plains.

Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen visited a birthday party for Carter in Atlanta.

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Christine Bird said this was a birthday party she did not want to miss.

“I love to bring out-of-town visitors here,” She said while at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta.

The president’s bride, Eleanor Rosalynn Smith, was born on August 18 in 1927.

“Happy birthday!” Jill Newby said with pride.

Newby said Carter has always been a first lady to look up to.

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In honor of her birthday, the museum reduced the $12 entry fee at the Carter Center to just 96 cents.

And as you can imagine, the cost of living has changed quite a bit since the day Mrs. Carter was born.

Fun facts: In 1927, that pocket change could buy you nearly four gallons of milk, 14 loaves of bread, and 125 lemons.

Rosalynn Carter is the second-oldest presidential spouse in U.S. history. Bess Truman died at 97 in 1982, the year after the Carters left the White House. Jimmy Carter is the longest-lived president. The longest-married first couple in history, the Carters’ marked their 77th wedding anniversary in July.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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