What happens when a president dies?
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Following Jimmy Carter’s death at the age of 100, his funeral will be first for a Democratic president in more than half a century. The last time a Democratic president died was in 1973 when Lyndon Baines Johnson passed away at the age of 64, just a few years after leaving office.
![[Lyndon B Johnson takes the oath of office as President of the United States, after the assassination of President John F Kennedy on 22 November, 1963.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/24/20/GettyImages-806438.jpg)
Following the death of Jimmy Carter on Sunday at the age of 100, the nation will now see the first funeral for a Democratic president in more than 50 years. Carter is the longest-living president, who also had the longest post-presidency after leaving office at the age of 56 in 1980.
![[The US flag flies at half-staff in honor of former President George HW Bush outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC on 3 December, 2018]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/24/20/GettyImages-1067981336.jpg)
There are a number of traditions and customs that govern the death of a US president, but the wishes of the family are also heavily considered, meaning the proceedings can be quite different from each other. Since the death of Johnson, there have been four state funerals for former presidents – Johnson’s in 1973, Ronald Reagan’s in 2004, Gerald Ford’s in 2007 and George HW Bush’s most recently in 2018.
![[President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pay their respects as former President George HW Bush lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda on 3 December, 2018 in Washington, DC]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/24/20/GettyImages-1076974868.jpg)
A state funeral lasts seven to 10 days and includes three parts – ceremonies in the president’s home state, ceremonies in Washington DC, and finally ceremonies in the state where they choose to be buried. The ceremonies in the capital region may include Armed Forces honor guards, military bands, and units from the National Guard and the US Armed Forces reserves. Outside of the capitol region, services may also include local units.
![[A military honor guard carries the casket of former President Gerald Ford during a funeral service on 2 January, 2007 in Washigton DC]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/24/20/GettyImages-72913228.jpg)
