Surrounded by loved ones, retired U.S. Army Col. William "Bill" A. Connelly, 100, was honored at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando on Friday evening during a flag retreat ceremony. 

Connelly stood tall and proud as he saluted the flag that had been risen from half-staff in honor of the late former President Jimmy Carter before being lowered and folded to be given to him. 

Afterward, Disney cast members lined up to shake Connelly's hand. Something unfamiliar happened next, when park visitors also lined up to thank him for his service.

Connelly said he felt "great" after the ceremony. The veteran and his family are not only Disney fans who have been to the parks and on a Disney cruise, but his son-in-law is a Disney cast member. 

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When asked what his secret is to a long life, Connelly said, "Having happy people around you."

Connelly, originally from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was drafted into the Army when he was 18. He served with the 115th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and fought in the battle on D-Day at Omaha Beach, Normandy, according to a biography shared by his family.

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The Army allowed him to finish high school, go to college where he was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, earn his bachelor of arts degree and re-enlist in the Army as an officer. 

He was involved in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II, which included the landing at Normandy. He spent 27 years in the military, and was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in a Combat Zone. 

Most of Connelly's Army life was spent working with the Counterintelligence Corps. He is the father of three daughters, a grandfather of six, a great-grandfather of six and became a centenarian on Saturday.

Connelly's wife of 63 years, Jean, passed away in 2016.

The WWII veteran cracked some jokes while speaking with Fox News Digital, and his humility shined through when he said his service in the military was "nothing special."

The daily flag retreat ceremony tradition in Main Street, USA, town square dates back to the park's opening day on Oct. 1, 1971. It features the pledge of allegiance, the singing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"The ceremony is a tribute—a thank you to veterans for their service, sacrifice and dedication to protecting our country," Disney World's website reads. 

More stories about Disney saluting military service heroes can be found here. 

When it comes to Gallup's "Most Admired Man list," Jimmy Carter is number three in the top 10 finishes, behind only Rev. Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan. 

From 1946 to 2020, Carter made the list 29 times, according to Gallup.  

Carter, the nation's 39th president, died Sunday, Dec. 29, at the age of 100. He served a single term as president, and will also be remembered for his decades of humanitarian work.

"When Gallup asked Americans to retrospectively evaluate Carter's presidency in June 2023, 57% said they approved of the job he did, and 36% disapproved," a Gallup blog reads. "His retrospective approval ranks in the bottom half of presidents, better than Nixon and Trump, but similar to George W. Bush and Bill Clinton."

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Carter earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development," its website states. 

The Plains, Georgia, native undertook peace negotiations, campaigned for human rights and worked for social welfare while President George W. Bush was planning war on Iraq in the fall of 2002.

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"According to the Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Carter ought to have been awarded the Prize as early as in 1978, when he successfully mediated a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel," the Nobel Prize website says. "As ex-President, Carter conducted an active peace and mediation campaign which sometimes seemed to run counter to official US policy."

The Carter Center, which Carter opened with his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982, has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. In perhaps its most widely hailed public health effort, the organization recently announced that only 14 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in all of 2021, the result of years of public health campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in Africa.

For his humanitarian work, Craig Shirley, a Reagan biographer and historian, said Carter will be remembered as "one of the best ex-presidents of the 20th century." 

"We’re going to remember him kindly. He was a terrific former president with what he did with the Carter Center and the various initiatives around the country. His book writing stands out [as does] his charitable works. So, he goes down in his history as an extraordinarily good former president."  

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A public vote has opened to name the Metro Richmond Zoo's newborn female pygmy hippopotamus calf. 

The calf was born Dec. 9, a Christmas Eve news release from the Virginia-based zoo announced.

"Hippo hooray! The zoo is excited to announce a heartwarming addition to our animal family just in time for the holidays: a baby pygmy hippo. The newborn arrived on December 9, 2024, after a 7-month gestation. Congratulations to pygmy hippo parents Iris and Corwin on the birth of another little girl," the zoo in Mosley said in the release. 

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The unnamed calf is the hippo couple's third in the last 4½ years, the zoo said, and is the second born at Christmastime. 

The release included a video of the zoo's newest resident romping about her enclosure with her mother. The video was set to the Christmas carol "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." 

"Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years," the Metro Richmond Zoo said.

Iris delivered this calf in water, her first water birth, according to the zoo. Pygmy hippopotamuses, unlike their larger, more common counterparts, give birth on both land and in water. 

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"The baby’s natural instincts kicked in, and she started moving around in the water immediately," the zoo noted.

The newborn weighed in at "a healthy 15 pounds" and will weigh up to 600 pounds when she is fully grown, the release noted.

On Friday, Dec. 27, the Metro Richmond Zoo launched a poll to name the new calf. 

Choices include Poppy, Juniper, Hammie Mae, and Omi.

Poppy was chosen as a tribute to her mother's floral name, Juniper is a nod to her winter birthday, Hammie Mae is "a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham" and Omi is the Yoruba word for "water," according to the Metro Richmond Zoo. 

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The poll received an "incredible response" in the first 24 hours it was open, the zoo said in an update posted to its website and Facebook page.

"We’re thrilled to see so many people joining in on the fun of naming our adorable pygmy hippo baby," the zoo said. 

The zoo received more than 14,000 votes "from hippo fans all over the world" during the first day of voting. 

The Metro Richmond Zoo clarified that if no name won an outright majority of the votes, there would be a second vote with the top two contenders. 

The zoo also posted a graph of the results so far but declined to say which name was in the lead.

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The poll closes Dec. 31 at 2 p.m., and the winning name will be announced New Year's Day. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Metro Richmond Zoo for additional comment. 

The Metro Richmond Zoo's newborn pygmy hippo was born months after Moo Deng, another pygmy hippopotamus, went viral for her adorable antics in Thailand. 

Since Moo Deng first received worldwide attention over the summer, she has been parodied on "Saturday Night Live," correctly predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election, inspired a makeup trend and prompted a two-hour-long traffic jam on the road to her zoo.

Country music star T. G. Sheppard, based in Nashville, is sharing his top 15 lessons for a healthy life with Fox News Digital ahead of the New Year.

Sheppard is married to Kelly Lang — and they have collaborated on several projects together.

Read on for Sheppard's best life lessons as 2024 wraps up and 2025 is set to begin.

1. Never forget where you came from if you want to get where you want to go in life. 

This is a lesson that Elvis pulled me aside at Graceland one night and shared with me. After hearing it, I applied it to my career. Learn to be humble.

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2. There’s no room for ego in this business. 

The fans of what you do give everything to you — and if you don’t stay accessible, down to earth, true to your music and true to your beliefs, they have the right to take it away from you.

3. Never say "no" to a fan who comes up to compliment you and asks for an autograph. 

Always consider it an honor when someone takes the time to acknowledge you. 

It’s the ultimate compliment.

4. Take the time to stop and smell the roses on your journey toward success. 

After all, success is not a place. It’s the incredible trip you take that’s the most important. 

So be careful not to overlook your journey by taking time to reflect along the way.

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5. Money should not be your barometer for success in your career. 

The best barometer will be the friends that you make. 

Long after the smoke clears and the fans stop screaming your name, your relationships will be the most important thing and comfort you more. Be sure to cherish them.

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6. Never get caught up in believing your own press. 

After all, it’s just press.

7. Never stop dreaming. 

No matter how old you get, it’s never too late in life to be who you might have been. 

Dream big, be big. Dream small, be small.

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8. To be successful, surround yourself with people who know more than you do. 

They will help you get where you want to go. A great team can help get you much further than going it alone.

9. Use your money and influence to improve the quality of life of those around you.

That's one of my greatest lessons and joys in life. Paying it forward is an incredible feeling, even if it's to help a total stranger.

10. Never continue to worry about a problem you have no control over. 

Worry about it once, then let it go — because each time you think about the problem, you’re paying for it over and over again. 

Let go and let God.

11. Take time to think through every decision you make in your career, no matter how small.

Remember that small decisions are sometimes just as important as the big ones.

12. Take time to thank and acknowledge the people who helped pave the way to your success. 

A public "thank you" is usually worth more to someone than money.

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13. If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all. 

It’s a small business and everyone in it usually knows or finds out what is said about them.

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14. Never envy someone for their success. 

Be happy for them, as it will help pave the way for your own happiness and success.

15. Don’t forget to be thankful for all that comes your way. 

It will take you higher than you ever imagined.

Texas history teacher Adam Compton owes his life to students who jumped into action after he went into cardiac arrest during an after-school club meeting, putting their quick thinking — and CPR training — to good use.

"I'm just eternally grateful. That's what it comes down to," Compton shared with "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Sunday.

"It's amazing and thank you guys so much. I'm glad you all were there," he told student Steven Amaro and high school athletic trainer Amanda Boyd, both of whom helped save his life.

Compton sponsors an after-school skate club for teens at MacArthur High School in San Antonio. He was present with the group when he lost consciousness.

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"I felt myself kind of snap out of what felt like a daydream, which alarmed me. I'm supposed to be there watching the students, so I asked one of them, ‘How long have I been out?’ He said, ‘A few minutes,’ and that's the very last thing that I remember," he recalled.

Luckily, Compton found himself in a room of skaters ready to do their part to save his life. Some ran to fetch Boyd, knowing her guidance would help. Another dialed 911.

By the time Boyd arrived at the scene, Compton was on his side, colorless and seemingly lifeless. The situation was dire.

"Immediately I knew that he needed serious help, so I pulled him over [onto] his back and took his pulse, and there was no pulse there. Immediately I knew he needed CPR if he had any chance to live."

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Amaro, a MacArthur High School senior, had become ADRCPR-certified just a couple of weeks before Compton went into cardiac arrest, he told a local outlet. 

He and junior Aidan Anthony Gonzalez grabbed the defibrillator, placed the pads on compton and administered a shock. Boyd told the same outlet the shock was "apparently" what revived Compton.

"Once the paramedics came, I let them take over, and I took the boys to sit on the side to let the gravity of the situation sink in," Amaro told Fox News' Carley Shimkus.

"We were all scared 100%, but I think I was the most confident because I knew if I was calm that it probably lead to a better outcome. Because if you're panicked, you're going to be thinking what to do next and not thinking – in order – what to do."

CPR training is required for Texas students at least once between grades 7-12. 

Compton is now back at school and has returned to his regular life. 

In honor of their dad's retirement, a group of siblings teamed up to plan a surprise reminiscent of some of their most treasured childhood memories.

Matt Houlihan, from San Jose, California, came up with an idea to celebrate his dad working 41 years at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California, the same school he, his brother and sister attended.

A TikTok trend inspired Matt Houlihan to do something special for his dad, with a special Houlihan family twist, he said.

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"I was scrolling TikTok a week before, [and] I saw a video on a group of grandkids showing up and surprising their grandparents for a sleepover. That kind of got the wheels turning for me, and my dad's retirement was coming up. And I wanted to do something special for him," Matt Houlihan told Fox News Digital.

Matt Houlihan's idea required his two older siblings, Brian Houlihan and Kelsey Houlihan, to wake up early with him and show up to their parents' home. The idea was to take one final carpool with their dad, like they did when they were kids. 

The three siblings decided to go all out by looking back at some of the "rituals" they developed all those years traveling to school in the car with their dad.

"For about eight years, my dad was driving all of us up to high school," Matt Houlihan shared.

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"And, in that time, obviously, you kind of developed some routines and rituals."

After working out the logistics for the surprise, like figuring out how their own kids would get to school, the siblings finally worked together with their mom, Stephanie Houlihan, to make the surprise a success.

The Houlihan children showed up to their family home at 6 a.m. and met their dad with their backpacks, ready to make a trip filled with memories.

They made a playlist, including the songs they'd listen to with their dad while carpooling to school when they were younger, the No. 1 song being "Hey Ya" by Outkast, which was a No.1 hit on the Billboard charts in the early 2000s.

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"At one point, my dad had a CD that was just Outkast's ‘Hey Ya' on repeat. So, literally, it was 21 Outkast ‘Hey Ya’ songs burned onto a CD, and we listened for, like, I think, for probably six months. That's the only thing we listened to in the car," Matt Houlihan said.

The next family stop was their favorite bagel shop, House of Bagels, before heading to school and pulling into the same parking spot they had throughout high school.

When the three kids were in school, Tim Houlihan would send them off to class by reciting a quote from the classic film, "The Princess Bride."

"He would always send us off by saying, ‘Have fun storming the castle,’" Matt Houlihan said, adding that he and his siblings repeated it before their dad walked into his final day of work.

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Tim Houlihan spent 41 years at Saint Francis High School in various roles, starting as a math teacher and bus driver and moving through positions such as office coordinator for the football team and athletic director.

He served as dean of students and the gold coach before finally settling into the role of construction management for new projects on the school's campus.

"We actually got to walk through the last building that he just completed, which was super cool just to see the final kind of crown jewel piece of the campus that he coordinated and helped build," Matt Houlihan said.

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"And, obviously, then [we] just got to see all the people coming up and saying congratulations to him and seeing all of his at-work relationships like we used to when we were [students] there."

Matt Houlihan said he and his brother and sister loved celebrating their dad, someone who they always thought of as a "servant leader."

"He always just wants to help everyone who is around him," he said, adding that his dad would appreciate his colleagues each year by bringing plates of food to the school security guards who were working the night shift on holidays.

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He has always looked up to both of his parents for the way they care for others. And he saw that in the response of those at the school who said their farewells to his dad on his last day by showing their appreciation for all he did, some even getting emotional saying how much he affected them.

Matt Houlihan is now appreciating those special carpools with his father, especially now that he is a parent to two little girls.

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"Being a parent and getting to take your kids to school or taking them to sporting events, you know, those are always the [moments] where so much came out of those conversations in those car drives because, as kids, sometimes you take it for granted that you could spend that time with your parents."

While Tim Houlihan may no longer use "The Princess Bride" quote with his kids, his youngest son Matt is passing that tradition onto his little girls.

"I always tell them, ‘Have fun storming the castle,’ and then I drop them off at school, so that [the tradition is] carried," Matt Houlihan said.