SCOTUS Retirements and the Ages of Justices
Supreme Court vacancies occur when Justices choose to retire or die in office. They cannot be fired by the President. So far none of the sitting Justices have indicated a desire to depart, and all are well-below the average age of departing modern Justices (79.3 since 1970). On May 7, 2026, Clarence Thomas — the oldest current Justice at 77 — will become the second-longest serving in Court history (12,614 days), with only 745 more days needed to exceed William O. Douglas’ record for longest. The President may not be the only one with eyes on the history books.
