Former President George H.W. Bush turned 94 years old on Tuesday and became the longest living president in U.S. history.
Bush is spending his birthday in Kennebunkport, Maine, just eight days after being released from a hospital for treatment for low blood pressure and fatigue, the Washington Post reports.
Several of Bush’s predecessors hit the 93-year mark, including Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. Former President Jimmy Carter also turns 94 years old on Oct. 1.
Chief of Staff Jean Becker says the former president wants a low-key day and "no presents." Several of his children are in town to celebrate with him, including former President George W. Bush.
Bush also recently celebrated what would have been his late wife Barbara Bush’s 93rd birthday on June 8. The former first lady passed away in April.
The elder Bush’s son Neil published a column in USA Today commemorating his father’s birthday.
"It’s an important lesson Dad instilled in me, the idea that we have the freedom to serve, and that the choice to serve can define the type of life you live," Neil Bush wrote. "In my father’s words, ‘Any definition of a successful life must include serving others.’"
Neil Bush stressed the importance of volunteerism in shaping the future of the United States. He said his father embodied the principles of selflessness in every aspect of his life.
"Long before he got involved in politics, my father was a volunteer – starting the United Negro College Fund on his college campus; helping to launch the YMCA in Midland, Texas; coaching an inner-city baseball team in Houston; and with my mother, starting the Bright Star Foundation to aid in leukemia research after my sister died," Neil Bush wrote. "After leaving the White House and well into retirement, Dad never quit giving back. Some of his proudest moments were when he partnered with President Clinton to raise money for tsunami and hurricane victims."
"Dad also understood that government alone cannot solve all of our community challenges and, from his first day as president, he actively supported volunteer-powered service initiatives," he added.