Who Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, born on March 15, 1933, was a trailblazing U.S. Supreme Court Justice who served from 1993 until her passing in 2020. Known for her fierce advocacy for gender equality and civil rights, RBG became a cultural icon, often affectionately referred to as "Notorious RBG." In 2025, the legacy of Ginsburg endures, inspiring a new generation of activists and legal advocates.
- Birth Date: March 15, 1933
- Death Date: September 18, 2020
- Position: U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1993 - 2020)
- Legacy: Advocated for gender equality and civil rights
| Occupation | Supreme Court Justice |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 15, 1933 |
| Age | 87 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 18 September, 2020 |
| Died Place | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Popularity
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though Ruth Bader Ginsburg's physical attributes were not the primary focus of her remarkable career, she was known for her petite stature.
- Height: 5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
- Weight: Approximately 100 lbs (45 kg)
- Body Measurements: While specific measurements are not publicly documented, RBG’s presence was larger than life, marked by her regal collars and distinctive style.
In 2016, researchers at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History gave a species of praying mantis the name Ilomantis ginsburgae after Ginsburg. The name was given because the neck plate of the Ilomantis ginsburgae bears a resemblance to a jabot, which Ginsburg was known for wearing.
Moreover, the new species was identified based upon the female insect's genitalia instead of based upon the male of the species. The researchers noted that the name was a nod to Ginsburg's fight for gender equality.
Relationship Status:
- Husband: Martin Ginsburg (deceased, married 1954-2010)
- Children: Jane and James Ginsburg
In 2025, the absence of RBG is felt by many, and her contributions to legal reform continue to resonate.
Just over a year later her older sister and only sibling, Marilyn, died of meningitis at the age of six. Her mother died shortly before she graduated from high school. She earned her bachelor's degree at Cornell University and married Martin D.
Ginsburg, becoming a mother before starting law school at Harvard, where she was one of the few women in her class. Ginsburg transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated joint first in her class.
During the early 1960s she worked with the Columbia Law School Project on International Procedure, learned Swedish, and co-authored a book with Swedish jurist Anders Bruzelius; her work in Sweden profoundly influenced her thinking on gender equality.
She then became a professor at Rutgers Law School and Columbia Law School, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field and the first female member of the law faculty at Columbia to attain tenure.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of her passing, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's estimated net worth was around $4 million. Her earnings primarily came from her salary as a Supreme Court Justice and her previous roles as a law professor and federal appeals court judge.
- Estimated Net Worth: $4 million
- Salary at Supreme Court: Approximately $255,000 annually at the time of her passing
Ginsburg dissented in the Court's decision on Ledbetter v. Goodyear,, in which plaintiff Lilly Ledbetter sued her employer, claiming pay discrimination based on her gender, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In a 5–4 decision, the majority interpreted the statute of limitations as starting to run at the time of every pay period, even if a woman did not know she was being paid less than her male colleague until later.
Ginsburg found the result absurd, pointing out that women often do not know they are being paid less, and therefore it was unfair to expect them to act at the time of each paycheck.
She also called attention to the reluctance women may have in male-dominated fields to making waves by filing lawsuits over small amounts, choosing instead to wait until the disparity accumulates. As part of her dissent, Ginsburg called on Congress to amend Title VII to undo the Court's decision with legislation.
Following the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, making it easier for employees to win pay discrimination claims, became law. Ginsburg was credited with helping to inspire the law.
Career, Business, and Investments
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s illustrious career began in academia before transitioning into law. After graduating from Harvard and Columbia Law School, she became a law professor and co-founded the Women’s Rights Project.
Her significant career milestones include:
Ginsburg spent much of her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, winning many arguments before the Supreme Court. She advocated as a volunteer attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and was a member of its board of directors and one of its general counsel in the 1970s.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she served until her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1993. Between O'Connor's retirement in 2006 and the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor in 2009, she was the only female justice on the Supreme Court.
During that time, Ginsburg became more forceful with her dissents, such as with Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007).
Social Network
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an influential figure both in the courtroom and on social media. Although she passed away in 2020, her legacy continues to thrive online, with numerous fan pages and advocacy groups dedicated to her memory. Many see her as a symbol of justice, and her image has been shared widely across different platforms including:
- Twitter: Often quoting her opinions or sharing notable achievements
- Instagram: Fan accounts honoring her life and work
- Wikipedia: An extensive record of her life and career can be accessed here.
In 2013, Ginsburg dissented in Shelby County v. Holder, in which the Court held unconstitutional the part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 requiring federal preclearance before changing voting practices.
Ginsburg wrote, "Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
Education
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a distinguished scholar. She attended:
- Harvard Law School (transferred to)
- Columbia Law School where she graduated first in her class in 1959.
The Baders' elder daughter Marylin died of meningitis at age six. Joan, who was 14 months old when Marylin died, was known to the family as "Kiki", a nickname Marylin had given her for being "a kicky baby".
When Joan started school, Celia discovered that her daughter's class had several other girls named Joan, so Celia suggested the teacher call her daughter by her second name, Ruth, to avoid confusion.
Although not devout, the Bader family belonged to East Midwood Jewish Center, a Conservative synagogue, where Ruth learned tenets of the Jewish faith and gained familiarity with the Hebrew language. Ruth was not allowed to have a bat mitzvah ceremony because of Orthodox restrictions on women reading from the Torah, which upset her.
Starting as a camper from the age of four, she attended Camp Che-Na-Wah, a Jewish summer program at Lake Balfour near Minerva, New York, where she was later a camp counselor until the age of eighteen.
