Thursday is a national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.
In a proclamation after Carter’s death, President Biden called him “a man of character, courage and compassion.”
Announcing the day of mourning, he said: “I ask the American people to gather in their places of worship that day to remember President James Earl Carter II. We invite people from all over the world. They share our sorrow to join us in this solemn celebration.”
what’s the matter?
A day of mourning will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on the same day as Mr. Carter’s funeral. President Biden is scheduled to deliver a eulogy at the funeral, and the eulogy written by Gerald R. Ford, who died in 2006, will be read by his son Steven Ford.
In memory of President Carter, American flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff at the White House, public buildings, military bases, naval ships, and U.S. embassies around the world.
What is closed?
President Biden ordered on December 30 that “all executive branches and agencies of the federal government be closed on January 9,” except those necessary for “national security, national defense, and other public needs.” Federal employees will continue to be paid for those days.
The Post Office will stop delivering mail and close post offices, but package delivery services will still be limited, a spokeswoman said.
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will also be closed, as will the U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, and the Library of Congress.
past presidents
The most recent day of presidential mourning was in December 2018, when George HW Bush died.
It has a long history. On June 1, 1865, six weeks after Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed, the government shut down for a “day of humiliation and mourning.” Citizens were asked to gather at ‘their respective places of worship’ to remember the fallen president. Banks and insurance companies were also closed, but the post office was only closed for half a day.
Presidents who have died since Lincoln were also honored, including James Garfield, William McKinley, Warren G. Harding, and Franklin Roosevelt.
Lyndon Johnson’s first presidential proclamation designated a day of mourning for John F. Kennedy three days after his assassination in 1963.
In recent years, even the relatively routine death of a president after leaving office has been designated a day of mourning. Lyndon Johnson in 1973, Richard Nixon in 1994.
Ronald Reagan won the award in 2004, and Gerald Ford won it in 2007.
The president was not the only one who celebrated the day of mourning. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Robert F. Kennedy were each honored after his assassination in 1968.
