United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, died Saturday night. He was 80.
Rehnquist, who was battling thyroid cancer, is credited with advancing the conservative ideology of the Supreme Court during his tenure.
He was set to begin confirmation hearings on the potential candidate to replace recently retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor this week.
Now there are two justices that must be replaced on the nine-person Supreme Court. Rehnquist was appointed to the Court by President Nixon in 1972 when he was 47. According to reports, other Justices called Rehnquist the "Lone Ranger" for often being the lone dissenter with his conservative views. He served as Chief Justice for the past 19 years.
For more on Rehnquist's legacy, click here.
