2020 Delivers Another Blow: RBG Dies at 87

United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died at the age of 87. She died surrounded by family at her home in Washington, DC from complications of metastatic pancreas cancer, according to a statement released by the court.

“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” said Chief Justice John Roberts in the release. “We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her—a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

When Justice Ginsberg was appointed to the court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, she became just the second woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. She was revered as a champion for gender equality and women’s rights, and earned the nickname the “Notorious R.B.G.” in reference to late rap star “Notorious B.I.G.”—often shortened to simply RBG. 

The announcement of her death sent shockwaves through the nation on Friday evening, with many taking to social media to express their sympathy: 

America lost a giant. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was shunned from courtrooms when she began her career because she was a woman.

But she persisted, blazing a trail for millions of women and others who had been excluded or oppressed.

RBG is a lioness of the law. She is irreplaceable.

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 19, 2020

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was in many ways the architect of a new way of thinking about equality, and we are better for it. She was a one and only. #RIPRBG

— Larry King (@kingsthings) September 19, 2020

The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tremendous loss to our country. She was an extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights, and will be remembered as one of the great justices in modern American history.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 19, 2020

"Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality, and she inspired more than one generation of women and girls." Read full statement: https://t.co/qNGbgc1ZMz

— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) September 19, 2020

This is a story that Judge Jeffrey Sutton shares about an encounter late in my dad's life, when he bought his friend Ruth two dozen roses for her birthday. "Some things in life are more important than votes." pic.twitter.com/wjCJvFcdHm

— Christopher J. Scalia (@cjscalia) September 19, 2020

Three other women have served on the Supreme Court to-date: Sandra Day O’Connor (1981-2006), Sonia Sotomayor (2009-current), and Elena Kagan (2010-current).

RBG was a trailblazer who leaves behind a lasting legacy—may she rest in peace.