The Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed
by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme
Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices
who were to serve on the court until death or retirement.

That day, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside
as chief justice, and John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair,
Robert Harrison and James Wilson to be associate justices. On September 26, all six appointments were confirmed by the U.S.
Senate.

On August 30, 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He would
remain on the Supreme Court for 24 years before retiring for health reasons, leaving a legacy of upholding the rights of the individual
as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Thurgood Marshall
(July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993)

  
MIKE GRACIA

Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey) achieved international fame
as the drummer for The Beatles. He 82 years old today.

In Furman v. Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a vote of
5-4 that capital punishment, as it is currently employed on the
state and federal level, is unconstitutional. The majority held that,
in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, the
death penalty qualified as “cruel and unusual punishment,”
primarily because states employed execution in “arbitrary and
capricious ways,” especially in regard to race. It was the first
time that the nation’s highest court had ruled against capital
punishment. However, because the Supreme Court suggested
new legislation that could make death sentences constitutional
again, such as the development of standardized guidelines for
juries that decide sentences, it was not an outright victory for
opponents of the death penalty.

TIM MAGUIRE

Goodman’s bands started the careers
of many jazz musicians. During an era
of racial segregation, he led one of the
first integrated jazz groups. Benny
Goodman (known as “The King of
Swing”), performed nearly to the end
of his life while exploring an interest
in classical music.