<Tr> <Th> Education </Th> <Td> Stanford University (BA, LLB) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Signature </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who served from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006 . She is the first woman to serve on the Court . </P> <P> Prior to O'Connor's tenure on the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona serving as the first female Majority Leader of a state senate as the Republican leader in the Arizona Senate . Upon her nomination to the Court, O'Connor was confirmed unanimously by the Senate . On July 1, 2005, she announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of a successor . Samuel Alito was nominated to take her seat in October 2005, and joined the Court on January 31, 2006 . </P>

When was the first female supreme court justice appointed