Antonin Scalia
A brilliant and combative jurist who reshaped American legal debate by championing a strict reading of the Constitution's original text.
1936–2016 (age 80)·US Supreme Court justice from 1986 to 2016·Birthday: March 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Antonin Scalia was a force of nature on the Supreme Court bench. Appointed by President Reagan in 1986, he brought a sharp wit, a formidable intellect, and an unwavering judicial philosophy to Washington. Scalia was the foremost advocate of originalism—interpreting the Constitution as it was publicly understood when ratified—and textualism, focusing strictly on the words of statutes. His vivid, often scathing dissents were literary events, arguing that judges should not impose their personal values from the bench. He believed in democratic processes over judicial decree, a stance that placed him on the conservative side of rulings on abortion, gun rights, and affirmative action, but also led to surprising alliances in defense of criminal procedure rights. Scalia's true impact was intellectual; he trained a generation of lawyers and judges in his methods, fundamentally altering the terms of legal discourse in America.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Antonin was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Antonin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Antonin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for nearly 30 years, from 1986 until his death.
- Authored the majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, which affirmed an individual's right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.
- His dissenting opinion in Morrison v. Olson is considered a masterwork on the separation of powers.
- Was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished amateur pianist and often played duets with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, his close friend despite their ideological differences.
He was the first Italian-American to serve on the Supreme Court.
He enjoyed hunting trips with Vice President Dick Cheney.
“The Constitution is not an organism. It is a legal document. It says something and doesn’t say other things.”
