Thurgood Marshall

Profession: First Black Supreme Court Justice

Nationality:

Biography: Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He also played a key role in ending racial segregation in schools and advancing civil rights in the United States.

Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1908. He studied at Lincoln University and Howard University School of Law, where Charles Hamilton Houston mentored him. After graduation, Marshall opened a law practice in Baltimore and joined the NAACP.

As a lawyer for the NAACP, Marshall argued many important cases. His most famous case was "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954), which ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision was a major victory for the civil rights movement.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the Court of Appeals. President Lyndon B. Johnson later made him Solicitor General in 1965. In 1967, Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court, where he served until 1991.

On the Supreme Court, Marshall was known for his liberal views. He often disagreed with the Court's decisions as it became more conservative. Marshall supported civil rights, opposed the death penalty, and favored broad interpretations of constitutional protections.

Marshall married twice and had two sons. He was active in the Episcopal Church and was a Prince Hall Mason. Marshall retired from the Supreme Court in 1991 due to health issues. He died in 1993 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Born: July 2, 1908
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Cancer

Died: January 24, 1993 (aged 84)
Cause of Death: Heart failure