Childhood and Education Journey of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Timeline
How education and upbringing influenced the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A timeline of key moments.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and Supreme Court Justice from 1993 until her death in 2020. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, she was the second woman and first Jewish woman to serve on the Court. Initially viewed as a moderate, she authored key majority opinions like United States v. Virginia. Later, her passionate dissents on the Court's rightward shift gained her the popular nickname "the Notorious R.B.G." Ginsburg became a cultural icon, admired for her sharp legal mind and unwavering commitment to gender equality and civil rights.
March 15, 1933: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Birth
On March 15, 1933, Joan Ruth Bader, later known as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was born. She went on to become an American lawyer and jurist, serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
June 23, 1954: Graduation from Cornell University
On June 23, 1954, Ruth Bader graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government, marking the culmination of her undergraduate studies.
1955: Birth of First Child
In 1955, Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave birth to her first child, adding to her responsibilities as a young mother and impacting her early career.
1956: Enrollment at Harvard Law School
In 1956, Ruth Bader Ginsburg enrolled at Harvard Law School, where she was one of only a few women in her class. She faced gender-based questioning and challenges during her time there.
1959: Graduation from Columbia Law School
In 1959, Ruth Bader Ginsburg earned her law degree from Columbia Law School, tying for first in her class, after transferring from Harvard and becoming the first woman on two major law reviews.
1972: Professor at Columbia Law School
In 1972, Ruth Bader Ginsburg began teaching at Columbia Law School, becoming its first tenured woman and expanding her influence in legal education.
1977: Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
From 1977 to 1978, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, enhancing her understanding of the intersections between law and behavior.
1978: End of Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
From 1977 to 1978, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, ending her fellowship.
1980: End of Professorship at Columbia Law School
In 1980, Ruth Bader Ginsburg concluded her time as a professor at Columbia Law School, after co-authoring the first law school casebook on sex discrimination and after teaching the first legal seminar on sex discrimination.
1994: Appearance in Ariadne auf Naxos
In 1994, Ginsburg appeared in the opera Ariadne auf Naxos in a non-speaking supernumerary role with Scalia.
January 20, 1997: Administered Oath of Office to Al Gore
On January 20, 1997, Ginsburg administered the oath of office to Vice President Al Gore for a second term during the second inauguration of Bill Clinton. She was the third woman to administer an inaugural oath of office.
2003: Appearance in Die Fledermaus
In 2003, Ginsburg appeared in the opera Die Fledermaus in a non-speaking supernumerary role.
2009: Appearance in Ariadne auf Naxos
In 2009, Ginsburg appeared in the opera Ariadne auf Naxos in a non-speaking supernumerary role with Scalia.
2009: Views on abortion and gender equality
In 2009, Ruth Bader Ginsburg discussed her views on abortion and gender equality in a New York Times interview, stating that "the government has no business making that choice for a woman."
August 2010: Ginsburg's Statement on Retirement
In August 2010, Ginsburg stated in an interview that her work on the Court was helping her cope with the death of her husband and expressed a wish to emulate Justice Louis Brandeis's service of nearly 23 years.
January 2012: Visit to Egypt
In January 2012, Ginsburg visited Egypt for discussions with judges, law school faculty, law school students, and legal experts, and advocated for safeguarding basic human rights in a new constitution.
August 31, 2013: Officiated Same-Sex Wedding
On August 31, 2013, Ginsburg officiated the same-sex wedding ceremony of Kennedy Center president Michael Kaiser and John Roberts, a government economist, believing the issue being settled led same-sex couples to ask her to officiate as there was no longer the fear of compromising rulings on the issue.
2013: Scalia/Ginsburg Opera Introduced
In 2013, Derrick Wang's opera "Scalia/Ginsburg" was introduced before Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia at the Supreme Court.
2013: Obama's Meeting with Ginsburg
In 2013, President Barack Obama met with Ginsburg in the White House to discuss her potential retirement, but she refused to step down.
2013: Decision Not to Retire
In 2013, despite facing health challenges and public encouragement from liberal legal scholars, Ruth Bader Ginsburg decided not to retire, choosing to continue her service on the Supreme Court.
2014: Continued Service on the Supreme Court
In 2014, Ruth Bader Ginsburg again decided against retiring from the Supreme Court, despite calls for her to do so, ensuring her continued influence on the court's decisions.
2014: Screenplay Named to Black List
In 2014, the screenplay for On the Basis of Sex, a film focusing on Ginsburg's career struggles, was named to the Black List of best unproduced screenplays.
October 2015: Publication of "Notorious RBG"
In October 2015, the book "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" by Shana Knizhnik and Irin Carmon, based on the "Notorious R.B.G." internet meme, was published and became a New York Times bestseller.
2015: "Sisters in Law" Book Release
In 2015, Linda Hirshman's book, Sisters in Law, which examines the careers and judicial records of Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was published.
2015: Scalia/Ginsburg Opera Fictionalizes Ginsburg and Scalia
In 2015, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were fictionalized in "Scalia/Ginsburg", an opera by Derrick Wang. Ginsburg later attended the Castleton Festival world premiere of the opera.
2015: Kate McKinnon Portrays Ginsburg
Since 2015, Kate McKinnon began portraying Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Saturday Night Live.
July 2016: Criticism of Donald Trump
During interviews in July 2016, Ginsburg criticized presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, later apologizing for her remarks.
2016: Appearance in The Daughter of the Regiment
In 2016, Ginsburg appeared in The Daughter of the Regiment and spoke lines penned by herself.
2016: McKinnon as Ginsburg at RNC
In 2016, Kate McKinnon reprised her role as Ruth Bader Ginsburg during a Weekend Update sketch from the Republican National Convention on Saturday Night Live.
2016: Trump's Victory and Ginsburg's Decision
In 2016, lawyer Linda Hirshman believed Ginsburg was waiting for Hillary Clinton to win the presidential election before retiring. After Trump's victory, she would have had to wait until at least 2021 for a Democrat to be president.
2017: Ginsburg Attends Revised Opera Version
In 2017, Ruth Bader Ginsburg attended a revised version of the opera "Scalia/Ginsburg" at the Glimmerglass Festival.
2018: Appearance on The Late Show
In 2018, Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, demonstrating her workout routine and participating in a discussion about whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
2018: Release of RBG Documentary and Deadpool 2 Cameo
In 2018, the documentary RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Also in 2018, a photo of Ginsburg appeared in the film Deadpool 2.
February 2019: Lego Figurine and Limited-Edition Beer
In February 2019, following the release of The Lego Movie 2, a Lego mini-figurine of Ginsburg was produced as part of the Lego toy sets. Also in 2019, Samuel Adams released a limited-edition beer called When There Are Nine, inspired by Ginsburg's quote.
September 2020: Ginsburg's Death
Ginsburg died in office in September 2020 at the age of 87.
September 2020: Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In September 2020, Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at her home in Washington, D.C., at the age of 87, due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. Her passing led to a vacancy on the Supreme Court.
November 7, 2020: Scalia/Ginsburg Opera Broadcast
On November 7, 2020, Scalia/Ginsburg, an opera by Derrick Wang fictionalizing Ginsburg and Scalia's friendship, was broadcast on national radio.
2021: Potential Waiting Period
In 2016, after Trump's victory, she would have had to wait until at least 2021 for a Democrat to be president, but died in office in September 2020.
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