President Jimmy Carter’s earnest desire to protect international human rights led him to meet with some of the most controversial leaders in the world, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said Monday.

Carter’s freewheeling talks with North Korean leader Kim Il Sung regarding the country’s nuclear development in 1994 caused some headaches for then-President Clinton when Carter told CNN some details of his discussions with Kim before first debriefing the US government.

“We need to have the North Koreans confirm directly and officially to us that they stand behind the commitments and proposals they made to you,” Clinton was asked to tell Carter in a phone call, according to briefing notes declassified in 2013.

As part of the research for his biography “The Unfinished Presidency,” Brinkley reviewed private notes and correspondence from Carter’s personal files.

“Many were written to all sorts of unsavory characters around the world asking for the release of political prisoners,” Brinkley said.

Carter returned to North Korea in 2010 to secure the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, an American who was accused of illegally entering the country. Carter offered to return to North Korea again at the age of 94 in an effort to broker peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq announced plans Monday to shut down on January 9 as part of a National Day of Mourning to honor former President Jimmy Carter.

NYSE said the closure will apply to all of its stock and options markets on January 9, the day of Carter’s official state funeral in Washington, DC.

The announcement follows the tradition of US stock markets closing in the wake of the death of a US president. US markets similarly closed in November 2018 following the death of former President George H. W. Bush.

Carter, the 39th US president, died in Georgia on Sunday at the age of 100.

Nasdaq President Tal Cohen praised Carter as an “exemplary leader” whose “contributions will be felt by those around the world for years to come.”

Both the NYSE and Nasdaq observed a moment of silence at 9:20 a.m. ET on Monday.

SIFMA, a financial trade group, on Monday recommended an early market close at 2 p.m. ET on January 9 for all fixed-income cash markets in honor of the National Day of Mourning. SIFMA said the recommendation applies to all US government bond markets and trading in corporate bonds.

Most of the attention given to former President Jimmy Carter’s domestic record has focused on US economic problems during his one term — high inflation that was worse than the recent price spikes.

But he helped to reshape the US economy more than most presidents, leading to important changes that made it far more competitive.

His administration pursued the antitrust case vs AT&T which led to its break-up early in his successor Ronald Reagan’s administration. That, and the deregulation of telecommunications that followed in the 1990s, helped to lead to technological advances for the US economy, including personal computers and the Internet.

And he passed and signed bills to deregulate both the US airline and trucking industries, which significantly lowered the cost of moving both people and goods, also making the US economy far more competitive.

But most of the effects of those policies weren’t felt during his one term in office, and thus, most people don’t associate them with Carter.

Former President Jimmy Carter had several memorable speeches as president — and after he left the White House. Watch some of them below:

Jimmy Carter was widely revered for championing human rights during and after his presidency. He served one term as governor of Georgia and president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

Here is a look at some key moments in his life:

Read more about Carter’s life.

Former US President Jimmy Carter is remembered in China for bringing an end to decades of hostility and establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing – at the expense of Taiwan.

The diplomatic switch in 1979 led to profound changes in US-China relations in the following decades that are still being felt today.

During the height of the Cold War, the Carter administration held months of secret negotiations with Chinese officials to normalize relations, which had been estranged since the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949.

For decades, Washington had recognized the Republic of China in Taipei as the government of China, after the Kuomintang was defeated by the Communists in the civil war and fled from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan.

A rapprochement with the People’s Republic of China began during the presidency of Richard Nixon, who made an ice-breaking visit to Beijing in 1972. But it was Carter who oversaw Washington’s formal switch of diplomatic recognition.

Celebrated in Beijing, the switch came as a shock to many in Taiwan – even leading to violent anti-American protests in Taipei. The US also ended its mutual defense treaty with Taiwan and pulled its military personnel from the island.

In January 1979, Carter welcomed Deng Xiaoping to the White House – the first US visit by a Chinese Communist leader.

Read more about how Carter shaped the US legacy in China and Taiwan.

The first few days of January are set to be an incredibly busy time on Capitol Hill with leadership elections, the certification of the election on January 6, nomination hearings and the inauguration of a new president which has all become even more complicated by the expected services to remember former President Jimmy Carter.

On January 3rd, per the constitution, the House and Senate will convene to swear in members of the new Congress and elect a new Speaker of the House. The Senate has already elected their leadership. With the narrow majority in the House and several GOP hardliners already raising concerns with Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership strategy, the speaker nomination process could drag out.

On Monday, January 6, heightened security is expected around the Capitol for the certification of the election — the fourth anniversary of the attack on the Capitol. It is unclear how Capitol Police and Secret Service will handle Carter’s lying in state and public access to his viewing amid these heightened concerns.

US President Joe Biden declared January 9, as a national day of mourning for Carter. The White House confirmed Monday that Carter’s official state funeral in Washington, DC, will also be held on January 9.

Then on January 20, President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated and, ahead of that, nomination hearings will begin on his picks for key cabinet positions.

In just the month of January, there will be three distinct national security events with Carter’s lying in state, the counting and certification of the electoral results and the inauguration.

Discussions are ongoing amongst House and Senate leaders around the timing of the lying in state for Carter, according to a source familiar with the conversations, but per past protocol, the date could be right around January 6.

Pope Francis was “saddened” to hear of the death of former US President Jimmy Carter, a statement released by the Holy See’s press office said on Monday.

“The Holy Father commends him to the infinite mercies of Almighty God and prays for the consolation of all who mourn his loss,” the statement said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has praised late President Jimmy Carter for his “integrity, compassion” and “commitment to advancing the freedom, security and welfare of others” particularly in areas of foreign policy.

He said that Carter was a pioneer in demonstrating how “tireless, principled diplomacy” could help forge peace between nations at war, citing a landmark deal Carter made mediating conflict between Israel and Egypt.

“His efforts are an important reminder of what’s possible, especially amidst renewed conflict and suffering in the region,” Blinken said late on Sunday night.

Blinken also praised Carter for his efforts in advancing peace and human rights through the Carter Center, which helps promote democracy around the world.

Here’s how some world leaders are reacting to the death of former President Jimmy Carter:

Britain’s King Charles III: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter. He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog: “In recent years I had the pleasure of calling [Carter] and thanking him for his historic efforts to bring together two great leaders, Begin and Sadat, and forging a peace between Israel and Egypt that remains an anchor of stability throughout the Middle East and North Africa many decades later. His legacy will be defined by his deep commitment to forging peace between nations.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba: “President Jimmy Carter achieved historic accomplishments through his tireless efforts not only during his presidency but throughout his life in peace diplomacy, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I renew my deep respect for President Carter, who contributed significantly to strengthening the amicable Japan-US relations and to maintaining peace and stability in the international community.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “We join our American friends in mourning the loss of their former President Jimmy Carter. The US has lost a committed fighter for democracy. The world has lost a great mediator for peace in the Middle East and for human rights.”

Read more reactions from around the globe.

The official state funeral in Washington, DC, for former President Jimmy Carter will be held on January 9, the White House confirmed Monday.

President Joe Biden declared January 9 as a national day of mourning in a proclamation on Sunday, hours after Carter’s passing at the age of 100.

Biden was already scheduled to travel to Rome, Italy, on January 9. It’s not clear if this will impact his travel plans.

Other upcoming events: Public observances honoring Carter’s legacy will be held in Atlanta and Washington, DC, followed by a private interment in Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, according to The Carter Center, though final arrangements are still underway.

The Joint Task Force — National Capital Region in the Department of Defense will ultimately conduct the ceremonies.

Jimmy Carter, who served a single full presidential term without the chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice, nonetheless left behind an incomparable judicial legacy.

He was the first president to significantly diversify the lower federal courts by appointing female and minority judges — a point that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg often touted.

Carter named Ginsburg to an important Washington-based US Court of Appeals in 1980, which positioned her for eventual elevation to the Supreme Court.

His presidency was the first during which women made up a significant number of confirmed circuit and district court nominees. During his one-term presidency, 41 of his appointees were women.

Women made up 12 of his 59 circuit court appointees and 29 of his total 203 district court appointees. Until Carter’s tenure, only two women had ever been named as circuit court judges and six as district court judges.

Ginsburg said that when former President Harry Truman, who served from 1945 to 1953, broached the possibility of a woman on the court, justices reportedly said a woman justice “would make it difficult for (the other justices) to meet informally with robes, and perhaps shoes, off, shirt collars unbuttoned and discuss their problems and come to decisions.”

Carter also appointed a record 57 people of color to the bench, including those who would become prominent federal appellate judges such as Leon Higginbotham, Amalya Kearse, and Damon Keith.

President Joe Biden honored the passing of his longtime friend, former President Jimmy Carter, on Sunday.

The president, who said he’d been “hanging out with Jimmy Carter for more than 50 years,” said Carter lived a life measured not by words, but deeds.

Biden called Carter “just as courageous in his battle against cancer as he was in everything in his life,” and talked about how the illness had impacted their lives.

“Cancer was a common bond between our two families, as in many other families, and our son, Beau, died – when he died, Jimmy and Rosalynn were there to help us heal,” Biden said.

He said he and the first lady “did our best to comfort him” when Carter himself was diagnosed.

Biden told reporters he had spoken with all of Carter’s children and that his team was “working with his family and others to see to it that he’s remembered appropriately.”

Former President Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100.

The Carter Center said the 39th president died in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family.

The White House has been notified that Carter has died, per a Biden administration official. Preparations for the state funeral have begun, according to a law enforcement official.

Carter had been in home hospice care since February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays.

Carter, a Democrat, served a single term from 1977 to 1981, losing a reelection bid to Ronald Reagan. Despite his notable achievements as a peacemaker, Carter’s presidency is largely remembered as an unfulfilled four years shaken by blows to America’s economy and standing overseas. His most enduring legacy, though, might be as a globetrotting elder statesman and human rights pioneer during an indefatigable 43-year “retirement.”

Carter became the oldest living former president when he surpassed the record held by the late George H.W. Bush in March 2019.

Carter’s beloved wife, Rosalynn, died in November 2023. They had been inseparable during their 77-year marriage, and after she passed away, the former president said in a statement that “as long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

Read more about Carter’s death and presidency.