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Supreme Court cases: Biggest rulings to shape the 21st century

Just two days before the United States Supreme Court’s first session anniversary, President Donald Trump selected Neil Gorsuch as his nominee to fill the court’s vacant seat.

The Supreme Court met for the first time on Feb. 2, 1790, in New York City, with Chief Justice John Jay presiding. Since then the court has made an indelible mark on U.S. history, from rulings on slavery and abortion rights to deciding the 2000 presidential race and the legality of gay marriage.

Gorsuch, once confirmed by the Senate, will restore a conservative majority to the Supreme Court, which has been split with four conservatives and four liberals on the bench since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016.

As the nation prepares for a new justice, take a look back at some of the biggest Supreme Court rulings of the 21st century.