First Female Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Passes Away at 93

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice of the United States Supreme Court, described by the Associated Press as the 'unwavering voice of moderate conservatism,' passed away on Friday, December 1, at the age of 93. O'Connor, who was retired, announced in 2018 that she was experiencing 'the early stages of cognitive impairment, likely Alzheimer's disease.' Her husband, John O'Connor, passed away in 2009 due to complications from Alzheimer's. O'Connor's nomination in 1981 by then-President Ronald Reagan and her confirmation in the Senate ended 191 years of male exclusivity on the Supreme Court. The Associated Press noted her influence as a Supreme Court justice in rulings regarding abortion, highlighting that most states had made abortion illegal, and that in 1989, she opposed four other justices who were ready to overturn the landmark ruling in the case known as 'Roe v. Wade.' This ruling, established by the Supreme Court in 1973, affirmed that the U.S. Constitution supports a woman's right to abortion without government restrictions. O'Connor, once referred to by commentators as the most powerful woman in the country, was the only female justice on the Supreme Court until 1993. She once described herself and the other eight justices as 'nine firefighters,' stating, 'When someone starts a fire, we are always asked to put it out. But we may arrive at the scene years later.' O'Connor announced her retirement at the age of 75.