Photo: Supreme Court
Rest in peace, RBG.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Sep 18, 2020
The world has truly lost a giant.
On Friday, September 18, 2020, it was announced that Ruth Bader Ginsburg — the second woman to ever sit on the United States Supreme Court — passed away at the age of 87 years old.
While this changes everything in terms of the importance of the upcoming election, tonight we mourn.
Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a look at the incredible life and devastating death of a hero and icon.
She died from a particularly aggressive form of cancer.
According to an official statement released by the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at the age of 87 due to "complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas."
Metastatic cancer of the pancreas is a form of cancer that starts in the pancreas before quickly spreading to the rest of the body. The Supreme Court also said that she died "peacefully," at her home in Washington D.C., surrounded by her family.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was fondly remembered by her fellow Supreme Court Justices.
Despite the political differences between Ginsburg and her fellow justices, she was well-respected and liked by her peers. Chief Justice John Roberts was one of the first to release a statement in support of her and her family. "Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. 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," he said.
Mitch McConnell has promised to quickly fill her vacancy.
In a statement released to Twitter not even 20 minutes after Ginsburg's passing was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to quickly fill the vacancy left by Ginsburg's passing. Check out his full, macabre statement below.
But Ginsburg said she hoped that wouldn't happen.
In a statement released to NPR by her granddaughter, Clara Spera, Ginsburg's dying wish was revealed: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."
This was a sentiment echoed by many abortion activists, who believe that Roe vs. Wade is now up for a challenge if a majority-conservative Supreme Court comes to pass.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg had humble beginnings.
Born Joan Ruth Bader in Brooklyn, NY, the woman who would go on to become Ruth Bader Ginsburg grew up in the Flatbush district, which was a working-class area at the time.
Her older sister died when she was only 6 years old, so Ginsburg was raised as an only child. Graduating in the top of her class at Columbia University, Ginsburg married Martin Ginsburg in 1954, and would go on to have two children with him.
Martin Ginsburg was a prominent tax attorney, and they remained married until his death in 2010. The Ginsburgs have a son and a daughter — James and Jane — and several grandchildren.
But she ultimately changed the world.
As the second woman ever to sit on the United States Supreme Court — the first being Sandra Day O'Connor — Ruth Bader Ginsburg became an icon from the minute she was confirmed to the court.
But even as a lawyer, she was a champion of women's rights, winning five of the six cases she argued before the Supreme Court. Her death is a top trending topic on Twitter, and the effects of her legacy will remain for years to come.
Our thoughts are with Ruth Bader Ginsburg's family during this difficult time.
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Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist and photographer whose work has been featured in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more.