RBG will be the 1st woman to lie in state at the Capitol

Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
(Image credit: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is still breaking barriers even after her death.

Ginsburg died Friday at age 87, after a lifelong career fighting for gender equality. Later this week, she'll be the first woman to lie in repose at the Supreme Court, and the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced.

It's a tradition for Supreme Court justices to lie at the court after their death. Ginsburg was the second woman ever nominated to the court, but the first, Sandra Day O'Connor, is still alive. Ginsburg's casket will arrive at the court Wednesday morning and remain there until Thursday evening, the court announced Monday.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Friday, Ginsburg's casket will make its way to the U.S. Capitol building. While 33 people have lain in state at the Capitol before, Ginsburg will be the first woman to do so. Rosa Parks lay in honor at the Capitol in 2005, a designation typically given to people who were not members of the government. President Trump has promised to announce his nominee to replace Ginsburg on the court on Friday or Saturday.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.