Jimmy Carter's tenure as the 39th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 1977, and ended on January 20, 1981. Carter, a Democrat from Georgia, took office after defeating the Republican incumbent president Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election. His presidency ended following his re-election defeat to the Republican nominee Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. At the time of his death at the age of 100, he was the oldest living, longest-lived and longest-married president, and has the longest post-presidency.
Carter took office during a period of "stagflation", as the economy experienced a combination of high inflation and slow economic growth.