Rehnquist was the first justice to die in office since Jackson in 1955.

Before William Rehnquist‘s death on Saturday, one would have to go back to 1955 to find a Supreme Court justice dying in office, Robert Jackson. Jackson was succeeded as an Associate Justice by the second John Harlan, who begat Rehnquist, who begat Antonin Scalia (when Rehnquist was elevated to Chief Justice in 1986).

Between the deaths of Jackson and Rehnquist, the 19 resigning justices lived an average of 8 years and 2 months after resigning, with Hugo Black dying 8 days after retiring and John Harlan dying three months after retiring. So of the four justices serving closest to their death since 1955, three once served in the same Associate Justice slot: Jackson, Harlan, and Rehnquist, a slot currently held by Scalia.