MAR 23 JIMMY CARTER IS NOW THE LONGEST-LIVING US PRESIDENT

MAR 23 JIMMY CARTER IS NOW THE LONGEST-LIVING US PRESIDENT

Yesterday, former US president Jimmy Carter achieved an auspicious milestone. He became the oldest person to have served as an American president. Of the 45 men who have held the office, none have lived past 94 years and 172 days. Jimmy says his longevity is from healthy eating, a positive attitude and always working. There have been six nonagenarian (fancy term for people in their 90's) presidents. Let's examine who else is on this impressive list.

#2. George H.W. Bush. 94 years old.  When Ronald Reagan became president, his age was an issue. At 69, he was the oldest president ever. He proved the doubters wrong and eight years later, his Vice-President became the third-oldest president. After losing to Bill Clinton in 1992, George didn't go out to pasture. For 25 years, he tossed coins at the Super Bowl, visited troops and jumped out of planes.

#3. Gerald Ford. 93 years old. Who says football players die young? The two-time NCAA champ from Michigan lived to a ripe old age. Not only did he survive savage hits by linebackers, Ford also lived through two assassination attempts while president. Likewise, Ford lived a busy life in his post-president years. He appeared at Republican National Conventions and championed social causes in Michigan.

#4. Ronald Reagan, 93 years old. When Ronnie left the White House, he was 77 years old. After a jampacked life as a movie star, governor and commander-in-chief, it was clearly time to retire. He and Nancy moved into their sprawling Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara. A couple years later, he revealed he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

#5. John Adams. 90 years old. For nearly 200 years, US history teachers taught that our second president lived the longest. Despite his recent fall on this list, Adams' long life remains the most impressive. Life expectancy in 1830 was only 39! After losing his re-election bid to life-long rival Thomas Jefferson, Adams was bitter. However, ten years later, the two amazingly reconciled. It's true: shedding anger helps us live longer.

#6 Herbert Hoover, 90 years old. After suffering a landslide loss to FDR, Hoover remained active in the Republican Party. He is one of the few ex-presidents to serve in another administration. Harry Truman created the Hoover Commission to help him manage the expanding post-war federal government. He also wrote several books.