Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life Remembered in Pictures

Photo: Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday night at the age of 87, was a towering figure in American politics. A pioneering advocate for gender equality, Ginsberg was just the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court, and over her 27 years on the Court she became the leader of its liberal bloc. Born in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrant parents from Austria and Ukraine, Ginsburg overcame great adversity in both her public and private life, and brought an intense commitment to her seat on the Court: Despite a litany of personal-health scares and family tragedies, it was only last year that Ginsburg missed oral arguments for the first time, following surgery for lung cancer.

In commemoration of her historic life and career, Intelligencer has gathered photos that capture some her most pivotal moments, and her ascent to icon status in American culture.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1977. Photo: Bettmann Archive

Ginsburg with President Bill Clinton, who nominated her to the Supreme Court in 1993. Photo: Cynthia Johnson/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Image

Ginsburg with Senators Dianne Feinstein and Carol Mosley Braun before the first day of her Senate confirmation hearings in July 1993. Photo: Terry Ashe/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

Ginsburg holding up a book written by her grandson during the first day of her Senate confirmation hearing. Photo: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist swearing in Ginsburg in August 1993. Photo: Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

Ginsburg with the Supreme Court and the president shortly after her appointment. Photo: Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images

Ginsburg in December 1993. Photo: Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

Ginsburg answering a reporter’s questions in Joe Biden’s office in 1993. Photo: CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Al Gore is sworn in for his second term as vice-president by Ginsburg in January 1997. Photo: LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images

The first two female justices, Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pose for a portrait in Statuary Hall in March 2001. Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Ginsburg sits in her chambers in August 2002. Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

President Barack Obama hugs Justice Ginsburg prior to his 2011 State of the Union. Photo: PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AFP via Getty Images

Kate McKinnon as Justice Ginsburg in 2015. Photo: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via

Ginsburg at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in October 2018. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP/ Getty Images

The Supreme Court sits for the official portrait in 2018 following the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images