Who was the first female Supreme Court Justice in the U.S.?

The first female Supreme Court Justice in the United States was Sandra Day O'Connor. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and took her seat on the Court on September 25, 1981. O'Connor's appointment marked a significant milestone in U.S. history, as she broke the gender barrier on the Supreme Court, paving the way for women in the judiciary and influencing legal decisions affecting women’s rights and gender equality during her tenure. Her retirement in 2006 left a legacy that encouraged greater female representation in all levels of the legal system.

While Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor are also significant figures in the history of the Supreme Court, they followed O'Connor and did not precede her in their service. Ginsburg, for instance, joined the Court in 1993, Kagan in 2010, and Sotomayor in 2009, all of which highlight O'Connor's historic role as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.