On October 12, 1977, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the “reverse discrimination” case of Allan Bakke, a white student denied admission to University of California Davis Medical School. The Court ruled the following year that that the Davis affirmative action plan was unconstitutional; Bakke was admitted to UC Davis Medical School and eventually [...]
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On October 10, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty demilitarizing outer space entered into force.
On October 9, 1635, separatist Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts colony for preaching that civil government had no right to interfere in religious affairs. Read Williams’ Plea for Religious Liberty.
On February 29, 1796, the Jay Treaty was formally proclaimed, settling territorial and other differences between the United States and Great Britain. Read the text of the Jay Treaty and learn more about the agreement and US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay.
On January 14, 1639, Connecticut adopted its first constitution, one of the earliest such documents in the American colonies. Review the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.
On January 7, 1972, the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist was sworn in as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Read a short profile of Chief Justice Rehnquist here.
On Sepetmber 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned predecessor Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office. Read President Ford’s remarks explaining the pardon.
On May 11, 1682, the Massachusetts General Court repealed two laws that had banned the celebration of Christmas and had authorized capital punishment for expelled Quakers returning to the colony. Learn more about the state’s ban on Christmas.
On September 9, 1836, future US president Abraham Lincoln received a license to practice law from the Illinois Supreme Court. Setting up office in Springfield, he filed his first lawsuit less than a month later, on October 5. Learn more about the law practice of Abraham Lincoln, from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
On October 11, 1872, Harlan Fiske Stone, future Columbia Law School dean (1910-1924), US Attorney General under President Calvin Coolidge (1924-25), US Supreme Court Associate Justice (1925-41) and Chief Justice (1941-46), was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. As part of a political compromise, Stone became the first Supreme Court nominee to appear before the Senate [...]
