Every Supreme Court seat, 1789 to today Each row is a seat. Bars are justices' tenures;
Skip past the timeline
Chief Justice Seat 2 Seat 3 Seat 4 Seat 5 Seat 6 Seat 7 Seat 8 Seat 9 Seat 10 Seat 11 − + All years
Ctrl + scroll or pinch to zoom · drag the date to scrub
← The Court on November 7, 2026 Associate Justice, Seat 3
Benjamin Robbins Curtis Born November 4, 1809, Watertown, MA
Served October 10, 1851 – September 30, 1857 (5 years, 11 months) Appointed by (Whig) Left the seat Resigned Seat Associate Seat 3 Predecessor Levi Woodbury Successor Nathan Clifford Appointment record September 22, 1851 Recess appointment December 11, 1851 Nominated December 20, 1851 Confirmed (voice vote) December 20, 1851 Commissioned October 10, 1851 Judicial oath The Court's list takes this date from “some other unquestionable authority.” September 30, 1857 Resigned