Clarence Thomas
A steadfast originalist on the Supreme Court, his journey from rural poverty has shaped three decades of consequential conservative jurisprudence.
Born 1948 (age 78)·US Supreme Court justice since 1991·Birthday: June 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Clarence Thomas's life is a narrative of radical ascent and unwavering conviction. Raised in the Gullah-speaking poverty of Pin Point, Georgia, by his formidable grandfather, he found a path through seminary, Holy Cross, and Yale Law. Disillusioned by what he saw as liberal condescension, his politics solidified, leading him to the Reagan administration. His 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings were a national firestorm, featuring explosive allegations from Anita Hill that he vehemently denied. Once on the bench, he cultivated a singular voice: famously silent during oral arguments for a decade, yet prolific and philosophically rigid in his writings. For over thirty years, Justice Thomas has pursued a relentless project to anchor the law in a fixed, historical reading of the Constitution, becoming the court's most consistent and influential conservative force.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Clarence was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clarence Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Clarence's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
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
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the second African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
- Authored the consequential majority opinion in 'New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen,' expanding Second Amendment rights.
- Has consistently advocated for a robust interpretation of the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause in campaign finance and other cases.
- His lengthy tenure and originalist philosophy have made him a foundational pillar of the Court's conservative majority.
Did You Know?
He is an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys and can often be seen driving his motorhome, a Prevost Marathon, around the country.
He worked as an Assistant Attorney General in Missouri under then-Attorney General John Danforth, who became a lifelong mentor.
He briefly attended Conception Seminary College in Missouri with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest.
For years, he displayed a small sign in his Supreme Court office that read, 'Stop The Bitching – Start A Revolution.'
““The Constitution means what the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention and of the state ratifying conventions understood it to mean, not what we judges think it should mean.””
