Supreme Court of the United States Timeline of Events

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Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

Timeline of Events

1789

9.24.1789

The United States Congress passes the Judiciary Act which creates the office of the United States Attorney General and the federal judiciary system, and orders the composition of the Supreme Court of the United States.

1790

2.1.1790

In New York City, the Supreme Court of the United States attempts to convene for the first time.

2.2.1790

The Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.

1803

2.24.1803

In ''Marbury v. Madison'', the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the principle of judicial review.

1804

11.30.1804

The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate begins an impeachment trial against Federalist-partisan Supreme Court of the United States Justice Samuel Chase.

1841

3.9.1841

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.

1857

3.6.1857

Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case.

1879

2.15.1879

Women's rights: American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.

1893

5.10.1893

The Supreme Court of the United States rules in ''Nix v. Hedden'' that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883.

1895

4.8.1895

In Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.

1905

4.17.1905

The Supreme Court of the United States decides ''Lochner v. New York'' which holds that the "right to free contract" is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

1911

5.15.1911

The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up.

1915

6.21.1915

The U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in ''Guinn v. United States'' 238 US 347 1915, striking down an Oklahoma law denying the right to vote to some citizens.

1916

1.24.1916

In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.

1.28.1916

Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court.

1921

7.11.1921

Former U.S. President William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person to ever be both President and Chief Justice.

1922

2.27.1922

A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in ''Leser v. Garnett''.

1935

5.27.1935

New Deal: The Supreme Court of the United States declares the National Industrial Recovery Act to be unconstitutional in A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, (295 U.S. 495).

1936

1.6.1936

The Supreme Court of the United States rules that the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act is unconstitutional in the case United States v. Butler et al.

1937

2.5.1937

President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposes a plan to enlarge the Supreme Court of the United States.

7.22.1937

New Deal: the United States Senate votes down President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court of the United States.

1939

2.27.1939

United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that sit-down strikes violate property owners' rights and are therefore illegal.

1953

6.8.1953

The United States Supreme Court rules that Washington, D.C. restaurants could not refuse to serve black patrons.

1957

6.24.1957

In Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment .

1964

2.17.1964

In ''Wesberry v. Sanders'' the Supreme Court of the United States rules that congressional districts have to be approximately equal in population.

1965

6.7.1965

The Supreme Court of the United States hands down its decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, effectively legalizing the use of contraception by married couples.

1967

6.12.1967

The United States Supreme Court in ''Loving v. Virginia'' declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional.

8.30.1967

Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

10.2.1967

Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African-American justice of United States Supreme Court.

1969

6.23.1969

Warren E. Burger is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren.

1970

11.9.1970

Vietnam War: The Supreme Court of the United States votes 6 to 3 against hearing a case to allow Massachusetts to enforce its law granting residents the right to refuse military service in an undeclared war.

1973

1.22.1973

The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.

1974

7.24.1974

Watergate scandal: the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Richard Nixon did not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes and they order him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.

1975

12.19.1975

John Paul Stevens is appointed a justice of The United States Supreme Court.

1978

3.28.1978

The US Supreme Court hands down 5-3 decision in ''Stump v. Sparkman'', 435 U.S. 349, a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.

6.28.1978

The United States Supreme Court, in ''Regents of the University of California v. Bakke'' bars quota systems in college admissions.

1981

9.15.1981

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

9.25.1981

Sandra Day O'Connor becomes the 102nd person sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and the first woman to hold the office.

1986

6.30.1986

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick that states can outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults.

1989

6.23.1989

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that a law passed by the U.S. Congress banning all sexually oriented phone message services is unconstitutional.

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