logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
49m 53s

The first woman in the US Supreme Court

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to America's top court in 1981. She'd been nominated by newly-elected Republican president Ronald Reagan. Also in the programme: an eye-witness on the beaches during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba, the worm that unlocked secrets of genetics in the 1960s, the decline of the South Asian vulture and China's "kingdom of women".

Photo:Sandra Day O'Connor is sworn in at the Senate confirmation hearing on her selection as a US Supreme Court justice, September 1981 (Credit: Keystone/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)

Up next
Jun 13
Opening the archives: A cellist, a playwright and a king
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. And today, we’re celebrating international archives week, set up to highlight the importance of protecting the world's historical records.Our guest is BBC curator Joe Schultz wh ... Show More
1 h
Jun 6
The creation of Inspector Montalbano and Australia's first Big Thing
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Giuliana Pieri, an expert in Italian noir from Royal Holloway, University of London.We start with the author Andrea Camilleri on the creation of his ficti ... Show More
1 h
May 30
Mexican history: A love song and a gas explosion
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.Our guest is Michelle Meinhart, a reader in musicology and cultural history at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London. We start by hearing about a Mexican song that captivated lov ... Show More
1 h
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
The US Supreme Court's first woman justice
In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman judge to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. She was nominated by newly-elected Republican president Ronald Reagan, who'd made the pledge to appoint a woman part of the campaign that led to his landslide victory. Justice O'Con ... Show More
9m 37s
Dec 2023
HARDtalk: Past notes
A special programme remembering past HARDtalk guests who died in 2023. All of them left an indelible mark on public life and all, in their different ways, relished the opportunity we gave them to discuss their decision-making and motivation.(Photo: Sandra Day O'Connor is sworn in ... Show More
23m 49s
May 2023
The Whiskey-Guzzling Womanizer in the White House
As the country went dry at the start of 1920, Americans were ready for a new leader. A stand-up guy, they thought, someone who reflects our morals–a man of the people. The elected Warren Harding, a handsome Ohioan who prided himself on his all-American principles. But behind clos ... Show More
41m 1s
Dec 2023
Sandra Day O'Connor (Re-release)
With the recent passing of Sandra Day O'Connor, we wanted to celebrate her life by re-releasing her episode. Sandra was the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and served from 1981 to 2006. Join us as we learn about her childhood and rise to the U.S. Supreme Cour ... Show More
12m 12s
Sep 2020
The Past, Present and Future of Amy Coney Barrett
<p>Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s pick to fill the empty seat on the Supreme Court, is a product of the conservative legal movement of the 1980s. She clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, a giant of conservative jurisprudence, and his influence is evident throughout her ... Show More
30m 43s
Sep 2020
More Perfect: Sex Appeal
<p>We lost a legend. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18th, 2020. She was 87. In honor of her passing we are re-airing the More Perfect episode dedicated to one of her cases, because it offers a unique portrait of how one person can make change in the w ... Show More
53m 25s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami