Samuel Alito
A steadfast conservative jurist on the Supreme Court whose meticulous opinions have consistently moved American law to the right.
Born 1950 (age 76)·US Supreme Court justice since 2006·Birthday: April 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Samuel Alito's path to the Supreme Court was paved with a reputation for intellectual rigor and unwavering judicial philosophy. After graduating from Yale Law School, he honed his craft as a federal prosecutor and in the Office of Legal Counsel, developing a deep belief in textualism and a limited role for the judiciary. His 15-year tenure as a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals was marked by carefully reasoned, often dissenting, conservative opinions. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006, Alito quickly established himself as a pivotal vote on the Court's right flank. He is known for his precise, sometimes biting, writing style and his skepticism toward expansive federal power and unenumerated rights. Opinions like his majority decision in *Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization*, which overturned *Roe v. Wade*, demonstrate his profound impact on reshaping constitutional law for a generation.
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.
Samuel was born in 1950, 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 Samuel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Samuel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
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
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade.
- Wrote the majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC (2010), which removed limits on corporate political spending.
- Served as a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit for over 15 years before his Supreme Court appointment.
Did You Know?
He is known for wearing a visibly different style of glasses during oral arguments than in his official portrait.
He is a longtime fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
As a child, he attended the same public school in Trenton, New Jersey, for both kindergarten and twelfth grade.
“A law can be both economic regulation and a law regarding sex discrimination.”
