Succession of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
The following is a list of the succession of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Chronology
Date |
Justice |
Action |
Days since previous action |
October 5, 1789 |
James Wilson |
Oath of office |
N/A |
October 19, 1789 |
John Jay |
Oath of office |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
February 2, 1790 |
William Cushing |
Oath of office |
7002106000000000000♠106 |
February 2, 1790 |
John Blair |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
February 15, 1790 |
John Rutledge |
Oath of office |
7001130000000000000♠13 |
May 12, 1790 |
James Iredell |
Oath of office |
7001860000000000000♠86 |
March 5, 1791 |
John Rutledge |
Resigned |
7002297000000000000♠297 |
August 6, 1792 |
Thomas Johnson |
Oath of office |
7002520000000000000♠520 |
January 16, 1793 |
Thomas Johnson |
Resigned |
7002163000000000000♠163 |
March 11, 1793 |
William Paterson |
Oath of office |
7001540000000000000♠54 |
June 29, 1795 |
John Jay |
Resigned |
7002840000000000000♠840 |
August 12, 1795 |
John Rutledge |
Oath of office |
7001440000000000000♠44 |
October 25, 1795 |
John Blair |
Resigned |
7001740000000000000♠74 |
December 15, 1795 |
John Rutledge |
Rejected |
7001510000000000000♠51 |
February 4, 1796 |
Samuel Chase |
Oath of office |
7001510000000000000♠51 |
March 8, 1796 |
Oliver Ellsworth |
Oath of office |
7001330000000000000♠33 |
August 21, 1798 |
James Wilson |
Death |
7002896000000000000♠896 |
February 4, 1799 |
Bushrod Washington |
Oath of office |
7002167000000000000♠167 |
October 20, 1799 |
James Iredell |
Death |
7002258000000000000♠258 |
April 21, 1800 |
Alfred Moore |
Oath of office |
7002183000000000000♠183 |
December 15, 1800 |
Oliver Ellsworth |
Resigned |
7002238000000000000♠238 |
February 4, 1801 |
John Marshall |
Oath of office |
7001510000000000000♠51 |
January 26, 1804 |
Alfred Moore |
Resigned |
7003108600000000000♠1,086 |
May 8, 1804 |
William Johnson |
Oath of office |
7002103000000000000♠103 |
September 9, 1806 |
William Paterson |
Death |
7002854000000000000♠854 |
January 20, 1807 |
Brockholst Livingston |
Oath of office |
7002133000000000000♠133 |
May 4, 1807 |
Thomas Todd |
Oath of office |
7002104000000000000♠104 |
September 13, 1810 |
William Cushing |
Death |
7003122800000000000♠1,228 |
June 19, 1811 |
Samuel Chase |
Death |
7002279000000000000♠279 |
November 23, 1811 |
Gabriel Duvall |
Oath of office |
7002157000000000000♠157 |
February 3, 1812 |
Joseph Story |
Oath of office |
7001720000000000000♠72 |
March 18, 1823 |
Brockholst Livingston |
Death |
7003406100000000000♠4,061 |
February 10, 1824 |
Smith Thompson |
Oath of office |
7002419000000000000♠419 |
February 7, 1826 |
Thomas Todd |
Death |
7002638000000000000♠638 |
June 16, 1826 |
Robert Trimble |
Oath of office |
7002129000000000000♠129 |
August 25, 1828 |
Robert Trimble |
Death |
7002801000000000000♠801 |
November 26, 1829 |
Bushrod Washington |
Death |
7002458000000000000♠458 |
January 11, 1830 |
John McLean |
Oath of office |
7001460000000000000♠46 |
January 18, 1830 |
Henry Baldwin |
Oath of office |
7000700000000000000♠7 |
August 4, 1834 |
William Johnson |
Death |
7003165900000000000♠1,659 |
January 14, 1835 |
Gabriel Duvall |
Resigned |
7002163000000000000♠163 |
January 14, 1835 |
James Moore Wayne |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
July 6, 1835 |
John Marshall |
Death |
7002173000000000000♠173 |
March 28, 1836 |
Roger Brooke Taney |
Oath of office |
7002266000000000000♠266 |
May 12, 1836 |
Philip Pendleton Barbour |
Oath of office |
7001450000000000000♠45 |
May 1, 1837 |
John Catron |
Oath of office |
7002354000000000000♠354 |
January 9, 1838 |
John McKinley |
Oath of office |
7002263000000000000♠263 |
February 25, 1841 |
Philip Pendleton Barbour |
Death |
7003113300000000000♠1,133 |
January 10, 1842 |
Peter Vivian Daniel |
Oath of office |
7002319000000000000♠319 |
December 18, 1843 |
Smith Thompson |
Death |
7002707000000000000♠707 |
April 21, 1844 |
Henry Baldwin |
Death |
7002125000000000000♠125 |
February 27, 1845 |
Samuel Nelson |
Oath of office |
7002312000000000000♠312 |
September 10, 1845 |
Joseph Story |
Death |
7002195000000000000♠195 |
January 3, 1846 |
Levi Woodbury |
Oath of office |
7002115000000000000♠115 |
August 10, 1846 |
Robert Cooper Grier |
Oath of office |
7002219000000000000♠219 |
September 4, 1851 |
Levi Woodbury |
Death |
7003185100000000000♠1,851 |
October 10, 1851 |
Benjamin Robbins Curtis |
Oath of office |
7001360000000000000♠36 |
July 19, 1852 |
John McKinley |
Death |
7002283000000000000♠283 |
April 11, 1853 |
John Archibald Campbell |
Oath of office |
7002266000000000000♠266 |
September 30, 1857 |
Benjamin Robbins Curtis |
Resigned |
7003163300000000000♠1,633 |
January 21, 1858 |
Nathan Clifford |
Oath of office |
7002113000000000000♠113 |
May 31, 1860 |
Peter Vivian Daniel |
Death |
7002860000000000000♠860 |
April 4, 1861 |
John McLean |
Death |
7002308000000000000♠308 |
April 30, 1861 |
John Archibald Campbell |
Resigned |
7001260000000000000♠26 |
January 27, 1862 |
Noah Haynes Swayne |
Oath of office |
7002272000000000000♠272 |
July 21, 1862 |
Samuel Freeman Miller |
Oath of office |
7002175000000000000♠175 |
December 10, 1862 |
David Davis |
Oath of office |
7002142000000000000♠142 |
May 20, 1863 |
Stephen Johnson Field |
Oath of office |
7002161000000000000♠161 |
October 12, 1864 |
Roger Brooke Taney |
Death |
7002511000000000000♠511 |
December 15, 1864 |
Salmon Portland Chase |
Oath of office |
7001640000000000000♠64 |
May 30, 1865 |
John Catron |
Death |
7002166000000000000♠166 |
July 5, 1867 |
James Moore Wayne |
Death |
7002766000000000000♠766 |
January 31, 1870 |
Robert Cooper Grier |
Retired |
7002941000000000000♠941 |
March 14, 1870 |
William Strong |
Oath of office |
7001420000000000000♠42 |
March 23, 1870 |
Joseph P. Bradley |
Oath of office |
7000900000000000000♠9 |
November 28, 1872 |
Samuel Nelson |
Retired |
7002981000000000000♠981 |
January 9, 1873 |
Ward Hunt |
Oath of office |
7001420000000000000♠42 |
May 7, 1873 |
Salmon Portland Chase |
Death |
7002118000000000000♠118 |
March 4, 1874 |
Morrison Remick Waite |
Oath of office |
7002301000000000000♠301 |
March 4, 1877 |
David Davis |
Resigned |
7003109600000000000♠1,096 |
December 10, 1877 |
John Marshall Harlan |
Oath of office |
7002281000000000000♠281 |
December 14, 1880 |
William Strong |
Retired |
7003110000000000000♠1,100 |
January 5, 1881 |
William Burnham Woods |
Oath of office |
7001220000000000000♠22 |
January 24, 1881 |
Noah Haynes Swayne |
Retired |
7001190000000000000♠19 |
May 17, 1881 |
Stanley Matthews |
Oath of office |
7002113000000000000♠113 |
July 25, 1881 |
Nathan Clifford |
Death |
7001690000000000000♠69 |
January 9, 1882 |
Horace Gray |
Oath of office |
7002168000000000000♠168 |
January 27, 1882 |
Ward Hunt |
Disabled |
7001180000000000000♠18 |
April 3, 1882 |
Samuel Blatchford |
Oath of office |
7001660000000000000♠66 |
May 14, 1887 |
William Burnham Woods |
Death |
7003186700000000000♠1,867 |
January 18, 1888 |
Lucius Quintus C. Lamar |
Oath of office |
7002249000000000000♠249 |
March 23, 1888 |
Morrison Remick Waite |
Death |
7001650000000000000♠65 |
October 8, 1888 |
Melville Weston Fuller |
Oath of office |
7002199000000000000♠199 |
March 22, 1889 |
Stanley Matthews |
Death |
7002165000000000000♠165 |
January 6, 1890 |
David Josiah Brewer |
Oath of office |
7002290000000000000♠290 |
October 13, 1890 |
Samuel Freeman Miller |
Death |
7002280000000000000♠280 |
January 5, 1891 |
Henry Billings Brown |
Oath of office |
7001840000000000000♠84 |
January 22, 1892 |
Joseph P. Bradley |
Death |
7002382000000000000♠382 |
October 10, 1892 |
George Shiras, Jr. |
Oath of office |
7002262000000000000♠262 |
January 23, 1893 |
Lucius Quintus C. Lamar |
Death |
7002105000000000000♠105 |
March 4, 1893 |
Howell Edmunds Jackson |
Oath of office |
7001400000000000000♠40 |
July 7, 1893 |
Samuel Blatchford |
Death |
7002125000000000000♠125 |
March 12, 1894 |
Edward Douglass White |
Oath of office |
7002248000000000000♠248 |
August 8, 1895 |
Howell Edmunds Jackson |
Death |
7002514000000000000♠514 |
January 6, 1896 |
Rufus Wheeler Peckham |
Oath of office |
7002151000000000000♠151 |
December 1, 1897 |
Stephen Johnson Field |
Retired |
7002695000000000000♠695 |
January 26, 1898 |
Joseph McKenna |
Oath of office |
7001560000000000000♠56 |
September 15, 1902 |
Horace Gray |
Death |
7003169200000000000♠1,692 |
December 8, 1902 |
Oliver Wendell Holmes |
Oath of office |
7001840000000000000♠84 |
February 23, 1903 |
George Shiras, Jr. |
Retired |
7001770000000000000♠77 |
March 2, 1903 |
William Rufus Day |
Oath of office |
7000700000000000000♠7 |
May 28, 1906 |
Henry Billings Brown |
Retired |
7003118300000000000♠1,183 |
December 17, 1906 |
William Henry Moody |
Oath of office |
7002203000000000000♠203 |
October 24, 1909 |
Rufus Wheeler Peckham |
Death |
7003104200000000000♠1,042 |
January 3, 1910 |
Horace Harmon Lurton |
Oath of office |
7001710000000000000♠71 |
March 28, 1910 |
David Josiah Brewer |
Death |
7001840000000000000♠84 |
July 4, 1910 |
Melville Weston Fuller |
Death |
7001980000000000000♠98 |
October 10, 1910 |
Charles Evans Hughes |
Oath of office |
7001980000000000000♠98 |
November 20, 1910 |
William Henry Moody |
Disabled |
7001410000000000000♠41 |
December 18, 1910 |
Edward Douglass White |
Promoted |
7001280000000000000♠28 |
December 19, 1910 |
Edward Douglass White |
Oath of office |
7000100000000000000♠1 |
January 3, 1911 |
Willis Van Devanter |
Oath of office |
7001150000000000000♠15 |
January 3, 1911 |
Joseph Rucker Lamar |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
October 14, 1911 |
John Marshall Harlan |
Death |
7002284000000000000♠284 |
March 18, 1912 |
Mahlon Pitney |
Oath of office |
7002156000000000000♠156 |
July 12, 1914 |
Horace Harmon Lurton |
Death |
7002846000000000000♠846 |
September 5, 1914 |
James Clark McReynolds |
Oath of office |
7001550000000000000♠55 |
January 2, 1916 |
Joseph Rucker Lamar |
Death |
7002484000000000000♠484 |
June 5, 1916 |
Louis Dembitz Brandeis |
Oath of office |
7002155000000000000♠155 |
June 10, 1916 |
Charles Evans Hughes |
Resigned |
7000500000000000000♠5 |
August 1, 1916 |
John Hessin Clarke |
Oath of office |
7001520000000000000♠52 |
May 19, 1921 |
Edward Douglass White |
Death |
7003175200000000000♠1,752 |
July 11, 1921 |
William Howard Taft |
Oath of office |
7001530000000000000♠53 |
September 18, 1922 |
John Hessin Clarke |
Resigned |
7002434000000000000♠434 |
October 2, 1922 |
George Sutherland |
Oath of office |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
November 13, 1922 |
William Rufus Day |
Retired |
7001420000000000000♠42 |
December 31, 1922 |
Mahlon Pitney |
Disabled |
7001480000000000000♠48 |
January 2, 1923 |
Pierce Butler |
Oath of office |
7000200000000000000♠2 |
February 5, 1923 |
Edward Terry Sanford |
Oath of office |
7001340000000000000♠34 |
January 5, 1925 |
Joseph McKenna |
Retired |
7002700000000000000♠700 |
March 2, 1925 |
Harlan Fiske Stone |
Oath of office |
7001560000000000000♠56 |
February 3, 1930 |
William Howard Taft |
Retired |
7003179900000000000♠1,799 |
February 24, 1930 |
Charles Evans Hughes |
Oath of office |
7001210000000000000♠21 |
March 8, 1930 |
Edward Terry Sanford |
Death |
7001120000000000000♠12 |
June 2, 1930 |
Owen Josephus Roberts |
Oath of office |
7001860000000000000♠86 |
January 12, 1932 |
Oliver Wendell Holmes |
Retired |
7002589000000000000♠589 |
March 14, 1932 |
Benjamin Nathan Cardozo |
Oath of office |
7001620000000000000♠62 |
June 2, 1937 |
Willis Van Devanter |
Retired |
7003190600000000000♠1,906 |
August 19, 1937 |
Hugo Lafayette Black |
Oath of office |
7001780000000000000♠78 |
January 17, 1938 |
George Sutherland |
Retired |
7002151000000000000♠151 |
January 31, 1938 |
Stanley Forman Reed |
Oath of office |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
July 9, 1938 |
Benjamin Nathan Cardozo |
Death |
7002159000000000000♠159 |
January 30, 1939 |
Felix Frankfurter |
Oath of office |
7002205000000000000♠205 |
February 13, 1939 |
Louis Dembitz Brandeis |
Retired |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
April 17, 1939 |
William Orville Douglas |
Oath of office |
7001630000000000000♠63 |
November 16, 1939 |
Pierce Butler |
Death |
7002213000000000000♠213 |
January 18, 1940 |
Frank Murphy |
Oath of office |
7001630000000000000♠63 |
February 1, 1941 |
James Clark McReynolds |
Retired |
7002380000000000000♠380 |
July 1, 1941 |
Charles Evans Hughes |
Retired |
7002150000000000000♠150 |
July 2, 1941 |
Harlan Fiske Stone |
Promoted |
7000100000000000000♠1 |
July 3, 1941 |
Harlan Fiske Stone |
Oath of office |
7000100000000000000♠1 |
July 8, 1941 |
James Francis Byrnes |
Oath of office |
7000500000000000000♠5 |
July 11, 1941 |
Robert Houghwout Jackson |
Oath of office |
7000300000000000000♠3 |
October 3, 1942 |
James Francis Byrnes |
Resigned |
7002449000000000000♠449 |
February 15, 1943 |
Wiley Blount Rutledge |
Oath of office |
7002135000000000000♠135 |
July 31, 1945 |
Owen Josephus Roberts |
Resigned |
7002897000000000000♠897 |
October 1, 1945 |
Harold Hitz Burton |
Oath of office |
7001620000000000000♠62 |
April 22, 1946 |
Harlan Fiske Stone |
Death |
7002203000000000000♠203 |
June 24, 1946 |
Fred Moore Vinson |
Oath of office |
7001630000000000000♠63 |
July 19, 1949 |
Frank Murphy |
Death |
7003112100000000000♠1,121 |
August 24, 1949 |
Thomas Campbell Clark |
Oath of office |
7001360000000000000♠36 |
September 10, 1949 |
Wiley Blount Rutledge |
Death |
7001170000000000000♠17 |
October 12, 1949 |
Sherman Minton |
Oath of office |
7001320000000000000♠32 |
September 8, 1953 |
Fred Moore Vinson |
Death |
7003142700000000000♠1,427 |
October 5, 1953 |
Earl Warren |
Oath of office |
7001270000000000000♠27 |
October 9, 1954 |
Robert Houghwout Jackson |
Death |
7002369000000000000♠369 |
March 28, 1955 |
John Marshall Harlan II |
Oath of office |
7002170000000000000♠170 |
October 15, 1956 |
Sherman Minton |
Retired |
7002567000000000000♠567 |
February 25, 1957 |
Stanley Forman Reed |
Retired |
7002133000000000000♠133 |
March 22, 1957 |
William J. Brennan, Jr. |
Oath of office |
7001250000000000000♠25 |
March 25, 1957 |
Charles Evans Whittaker |
Oath of office |
7000300000000000000♠3 |
October 13, 1958 |
Harold Hitz Burton |
Retired |
7002567000000000000♠567 |
October 14, 1958 |
Potter Stewart |
Oath of office |
7000100000000000000♠1 |
April 1, 1962 |
Charles Evans Whittaker |
Disabled |
7003126500000000000♠1,265 |
April 16, 1962 |
Byron Raymond White |
Oath of office |
7001150000000000000♠15 |
August 28, 1962 |
Felix Frankfurter |
Retired |
7002134000000000000♠134 |
October 1, 1962 |
Arthur Joseph Goldberg |
Oath of office |
7001340000000000000♠34 |
July 25, 1965 |
Arthur Joseph Goldberg |
Resigned |
7003102800000000000♠1,028 |
October 4, 1965 |
Abe Fortas |
Oath of office |
7001710000000000000♠71 |
June 12, 1967 |
Thomas Campbell Clark |
Retired |
7002616000000000000♠616 |
October 2, 1967 |
Thurgood Marshall |
Oath of office |
7002112000000000000♠112 |
May 14, 1969 |
Abe Fortas |
Resigned |
7002590000000000000♠590 |
June 23, 1969 |
Earl Warren |
Resigned |
7001400000000000000♠40 |
June 23, 1969 |
Warren Earl Burger |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
June 9, 1970 |
Harry A. Blackmun |
Oath of office |
7002351000000000000♠351 |
September 17, 1971 |
Hugo Lafayette Black |
Retired |
7002465000000000000♠465 |
September 23, 1971 |
John Marshall Harlan II |
Retired |
7000600000000000000♠6 |
January 7, 1972 |
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. |
Oath of office |
7002106000000000000♠106 |
January 7, 1972 |
William H. Rehnquist |
Oath of office |
7002106000000000000♠106 |
November 12, 1975 |
William Orville Douglas |
Retired |
7003140500000000000♠1,405 |
December 19, 1975 |
John Paul Stevens |
Oath of office |
7001370000000000000♠37 |
July 3, 1981 |
Potter Stewart |
Retired |
7003202300000000000♠2,023 |
September 25, 1981 |
Sandra Day O'Connor |
Oath of office |
7001840000000000000♠84 |
September 26, 1986 |
Warren Earl Burger |
Retired |
7003182700000000000♠1,827 |
September 26, 1986 |
William H. Rehnquist |
Promoted |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
September 26, 1986 |
William H. Rehnquist |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
September 26, 1986 |
Antonin Scalia |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
June 26, 1987 |
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. |
Retired |
7002273000000000000♠273 |
February 18, 1988 |
Anthony M. Kennedy |
Oath of office |
7002237000000000000♠237 |
July 20, 1990 |
William J. Brennan, Jr. |
Retired |
7002883000000000000♠883 |
October 9, 1990 |
David H. Souter |
Oath of office |
7001810000000000000♠81 |
October 1, 1991 |
Thurgood Marshall |
Retired |
7002357000000000000♠357 |
November 1, 1991 |
Clarence Thomas |
Oath of office |
7001310000000000000♠31 |
June 28, 1993 |
Byron Raymond White |
Retired |
7002605000000000000♠605 |
August 10, 1993 |
Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
Oath of office |
7001430000000000000♠43 |
August 3, 1994 |
Harry A. Blackmun |
Retired |
7002358000000000000♠358 |
August 3, 1994 |
Stephen G. Breyer |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
September 3, 2005 |
William H. Rehnquist |
Death |
7003404900000000000♠4,049 |
September 29, 2005 |
John G. Roberts, Jr. |
Oath of office |
7001260000000000000♠26 |
January 31, 2006 |
Sandra Day O'Connor |
Retired |
7002124000000000000♠124 |
January 31, 2006 |
Samuel A. Alito, Jr. |
Oath of office |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
June 29, 2009 |
David H. Souter |
Retired |
7003124500000000000♠1,245 |
August 8, 2009 |
Sonia Sotomayor |
Oath of office |
7001400000000000000♠40 |
June 29, 2010 |
John Paul Stevens |
Retired |
7002325000000000000♠325 |
August 7, 2010 |
Elena Kagan |
Oath of office |
7001390000000000000♠39 |
February 13, 2016 |
Antonin Scalia |
Death |
7003201600000000000♠2,016 |
Notes
- Chief Justices are marked in italics.
- Current members of the Court are marked in bold.
References
See also
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