On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall had previously gained fame as a lawyer, winning the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which desegregated public schools. His appointment to the Supreme Court was a historic moment for civil rights in the United States. Marshall served on the Court for 24 years, shaping legal precedents on civil rights, race relations, and human dignity. His death in 1993 marked the loss of a legal giant and a staunch advocate for equality.