Celebrating President Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday: A Milestone for Humanity and Science

In the days and weeks leading up to his 100th birthday on October 1st, communities around the world are celebrating the extraordinary life and contributions of President Jimmy Carter. A champion for human rights, peace, and global health, President Carter’s legacy extends well beyond his time in the Oval Office. In the 43 years since his presidency, Carter has spurred progress against ambitious humanitarian goals, leading efforts to eradicate Guinea worm disease, for example, and expanding access to affordable housing, hardhat on and shovel in hand. Even as he saved and improved lives by the thousands, President Carter’s own life was saved and improved in the face of a serious health challenge that emerged a decade ago.

As we celebrate his 100th birthday, we also celebrate the miracle of science that made this milestone possible.

In 2015, Carter announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive case of metastatic melanoma. Initially, he underwent surgery to remove a small mass from his liver, but further tests revealed that the melanoma had metastasized to his brain.

Historically, a case like this—involving metastasis to the brain—would be considered uncurable. At the time, however, a groundbreaking new cancer immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab (Keytruda?), had recently secured FDA approval. Carter’s access to Keytruda?, in tandem with focused radiation treatment for the tumors in his brain, enabled the remarkable outcome that came just a few months after his diagnosis: Carter’s cancer was in full remission. Follow-up scans showed no evidence of melanoma.

Leaps forward in biomedical innovation, illustrated in the case of President Carter and his Keytruda?-enabled treatment outcome, have made 100th birthday milestones increasingly attainable. A commitment to driving these advancements forward, adding decades to lifespan and health span for people everywhere, is central to our work at Human Longevity, Inc (HLI).

At HLI, we are pioneering breakthroughs across genomics, precision medicine, and AI, aggregating a vast set of longevity-relevant data for individualized, clinical application. As our team continuously builds upon the foundation of our early work, the Human Genome Project, folding in new insights, technologies, and treatments, we are fully convinced that a new era is at hand—one where living beyond 100 is the norm and not the exception.

As we honor President Carter’s life on this occasion, we also celebrate the incredible future that lies ahead for humanity. This is a future where 100 years old is just the beginning of a new chapter, where life’s wisdom and experiences can flourish into a second century. President Carter has always believed in the power of human potential, and it is in that spirit that we at HLI work to extend the time horizon within which people everywhere can discover and fully realize their own potential.

Happy 100th birthday, President Jimmy Carter. May your example continue to inspire us as we push the boundaries of what it means to live a long and meaningful life. If President Carter can live beyond 100, with all the modern medical innovations, so can you.