Sandra Day O'Connor

On September 25, 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. President Ronald Reagan nominated her to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of retiring justice Potter Stewart. She received unanimous Senate approval, and made history as the first woman justice to serve on the nation's highest court. O'Connor was a key swing vote in many important cases, including the upholding of Roe v. Wade. A Republican, she was considered a moderate conservative and served for 24 years.