Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice, dead at 93

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the justice who held the court’s center for more than a generation, died Friday, the court said in a statement.

Her cause of death was complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness. She was 93.

Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement that O'Connor "blazed an historic trail as our nation's first female justice."

He said the justices "mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education."