First Woman Appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court (1981): On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. On September 21, the United States Senate confirmed O'Connor in a vote of 99 for and zero against. Sandra Day O'Connor was officially sworn in and took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court on September 25, 1981.
O'Connor served on the U.S. Supreme Court for over two decades. On July 1, 2005, O'Connor announced that she would retire as soon as a successor was chosen. On January 31, 2006, Samuel Alito was sworn in, filling O'Connor's seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
