<P> Despite the variability, all but four presidents have been able to appoint at least one justice . William Henry Harrison died a month after taking office, though his successor (John Tyler) made an appointment during that presidential term . Likewise, Zachary Taylor died 16 months after taking office, but his successor (Millard Fillmore) also made a Supreme Court nomination before the end of that term . Andrew Johnson, who became president after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, was denied the opportunity to appoint a justice by a reduction in the size of the Court . Jimmy Carter is the only person elected president to have left office after at least one full term without having the opportunity to appoint a justice . Somewhat similarly, presidents James Monroe, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George W. Bush each served a full term without an opportunity to appoint a justice, but made appointments during their subsequent terms in office . No president who has served more than one full term has gone without at least one opportunity to make an appointment . </P> <P> Three presidents have appointed justices who together served more than a century . Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt . </P> <P> The court is currently filled with nine Justices . The most recent justice to join the court was Neil Gorsuch, who was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 31, 2017, and confirmed on April 7, 2017, by the U.S. Senate . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Birth </Th> <Th> Appointed by </Th> <Th> Senate confirmation vote </Th> <Th> Age at appointment </Th> <Th> Current age </Th> <Th> First day / Length of service </Th> <Th> Previous positions </Th> <Th> Succeeded </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Roberts, John John Roberts (Chief Justice) </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001955 - 01 - 27 - 0000 January 27, 1955 Buffalo, New York </Td> <Td> Bush, George W. George W. Bush </Td> <Td> 78--22 </Td> <Td> 50 </Td> <Td> 7004231340000000000 ♠ 63 </Td> <Td> 000000002005 - 09 - 29 - 0000 September 29, 2005 12 years, 8 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (2003--2005); Principal Deputy Solicitor General (1989--1993); Associate Counsel to the President (1982--1986) </Td> <Td> William Rehnquist </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Kennedy, Anthony Anthony Kennedy </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001936 - 07 - 23 - 0000 July 23, 1936 Sacramento, California </Td> <Td> Reagan, Ronald Ronald Reagan </Td> <Td> 97--0 </Td> <Td> 51 </Td> <Td> 7004298960000000000 ♠ 81 </Td> <Td> 000000001988 - 02 - 18 - 0000 February 18, 1988 30 years, 3 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1975--1988); Private practice (1963--1975) </Td> <Td> Lewis Powell </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Thomas, Clarence Clarence Thomas </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001948 - 06 - 23 - 0000 June 23, 1948 Pin Point, Georgia </Td> <Td> Bush, George H.W. George H.W. Bush </Td> <Td> 52--48 </Td> <Td> 43 </Td> <Td> 7004255430000000000 ♠ 69 </Td> <Td> 000000001991 - 10 - 23 - 0000 October 23, 1991 26 years, 7 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (1990--1991); Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1982--1990); Assistant Attorney General in Missouri under State Attorney General John Danforth (1974--1977) </Td> <Td> Thurgood Marshall </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Ginsburg, Ruth Bader Ruth Bader Ginsburg </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001933 - 03 - 15 - 0000 March 15, 1933 Brooklyn, New York </Td> <Td> Clinton, Bill Bill Clinton </Td> <Td> 96--3 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> 7004311220000000000 ♠ 85 </Td> <Td> 000000001993 - 08 - 10 - 0000 August 10, 1993 24 years, 9 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (1980--1993); General Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union (1973--1980) </Td> <Td> Byron White </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Breyer, Stephen Stephen Breyer </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001938 - 08 - 15 - 0000 August 15, 1938 San Francisco, California </Td> <Td> 87--9 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> <Td> 7004291430000000000 ♠ 79 </Td> <Td> 000000001994 - 08 - 03 - 0000 August 3, 1994 23 years, 9 months </Td> <Td> Chief Judge, Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1990--1994); Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1980--1990) </Td> <Td> Harry Blackmun </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Alito, Samuel Samuel Alito </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001950 - 04 - 01 - 0000 April 1, 1950 Trenton, New Jersey </Td> <Td> George W. Bush </Td> <Td> 58--42 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> <Td> 7004248960000000000 ♠ 68 </Td> <Td> 000000002006 - 01 - 31 - 0000 January 31, 2006 12 years, 3 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1990--2006); U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey (1987--1990); Deputy Assistant Attorney General (1985--1987); Assistant to the Solicitor General (1981--1985) </Td> <Td> Sandra Day O'Connor </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Sotomayor, Sonia Sonia Sotomayor </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001954 - 06 - 25 - 0000 June 25, 1954 The Bronx, New York </Td> <Td> Obama, Barack Barack Obama </Td> <Td> 68--31 </Td> <Td> 55 </Td> <Td> 7004233500000000000 ♠ 63 </Td> <Td> 000000002009 - 08 - 08 - 0000 August 8, 2009 8 years, 9 months </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1998--2009); District Judge, District Court for the Southern District of New York (1992--1998) </Td> <Td> David Souter </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Kagan, Elena Elena Kagan </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001960 - 04 - 28 - 0000 April 28, 1960 Manhattan, New York </Td> <Td> 63--37 </Td> <Td> 50 </Td> <Td> 7004212160000000000 ♠ 58 </Td> <Td> 000000002010 - 08 - 07 - 0000 August 7, 2010 7 years, 9 months </Td> <Td> Solicitor General of the United States (2009--2010); Dean of Harvard Law School (2003--2009); Associate White House Counsel (1995--1999); Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council (1995--1999); </Td> <Td> John Paul Stevens </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <P> Gorsuch, Neil Neil Gorsuch </P> </Td> <Td> 000000001967 - 08 - 29 - 0000 August 29, 1967 Denver, Colorado </Td> <Td> Trump, Donald Donald Trump </Td> <Td> 54--45 </Td> <Td> 49 </Td> <Td> 7004185370000000000 ♠ 50 </Td> <Td> 000000002017 - 04 - 10 - 0000 April 10, 2017 1 year, 1 month </Td> <Td> Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2006--2017); Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General and Acting Associate Attorney General (2005--2006); </Td> <Td> Antonin Scalia </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How long has the us had 9 supreme court justices