Sandra Day O’Connor Dead At 93

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, has died. She was 93. O’Connor’s nomination in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and subsequent confirmation by the Senate ended 191 years of male exclusivity on the high court. She was an unwavering voice of moderate conservativism on the court. She retired in 2006 and was replaced by Samuel Alito. Chief Justice John Roberts says she blazed a historic trail as the first female justice and “met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor.” The court says O’Connor died in Phoenix on Friday of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.