5 Surprising Facts About Jimmy Carter

The big highlights from Jimmy Carter's presidency and post-presidency are being thoroughly vetted in the wake of his death. But outlets also are providing some lesser-known facts about America's 39th president:

• Historic birth: The Washington Post notes that Carter was the first president to have been born in a hospital. Carter came into the world on Oct. 1, 1924, in a hospital in Plains, Georgia. Home births were the norm before this.

• Craft brewing: Carter—who largely abstained from alcohol—played a crucial role in launching the nation's craft brew industry, the Wall Street Journal explains in a video. In 1978, he signed a law legalizing home brewing, and craft brewing grew from there.
• Nickname: Carter was the first president to be sworn into office by his nickname, notes Reader's Digest. "Jimmy" was born James Earl Carter Jr.
• Solar panels: Carter had more than 30 solar panels installed on the White House roof in 1979 as part of a push toward sustainable energy, per Yale Climate Connections. "A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people," Carter said at the time. The panels came down during roof repairs in 1986 and never got reinstalled.
• Hoofing it: Carter became the first US president to walk Pennsylvania Avenue as part of inauguration festivities, notes the Washington Examiner. It was a conscious choice, with Carter hoping to reduce "the imperial status of the president and his family," according to his diary record of the day.

(More Jimmy Carter stories.)