world's poorest people," Congileo said.

Seemingly downplaying his political career, Carter has for years characterized the centre's work as his defining professional achievement -- though, of course, having been a U.S. president is what allowed him the stature to establish the centre.

"I spent four of my ninety years in the White House, and they were, of course, the pinnacle of my political life," Carter wrote in a memoir published on his 90th birthday. "Those years, though, do not dominate my chain of memories, and there was never an orderly or planned path to get there during my early life."

Rather, he continued, "Teaching, writing and helping The Carter Center evolve ... seem to constitute the high points in my life."

And the man who once held the U.S. nuclear codes, forgeda historic Middle East peace deal at Camp David and tried to manage a hostage crisis that sealed his one-term fate has a simple answer whenever he's asked to recount the best or most significant decision he's ever made: "Asking Rosalynn to marry me."

The former president and first lady still live in Plains, Georgia, a town of about 750 where they were born, raised and married 73 years ago, weeks after the future commander in chief graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.

A devout Christian, Jimmy Carter regularly teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, drawing hundreds of visitors to Plains for each session. The Carters pose for pictures with each attendee.

Though he sometimes de-emphasizes his elected career, living so long after his presidency is allowing Carter a resurgence