Today in History: September 10, Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court nomination hearings begin

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2025 marks a pivotal moment in U.S. history: in 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee opened hearings on Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court nomination. The proceedings quickly became a watershed in the national conversation on sexual harassment after Anita Hill, a law professor and former colleague who had worked under Thomas, came forward with allegations. The day also includes other notable dates, from John Smith’s election as president of the Jamestown colony council in 1608 to the 2008 first beam fired through CERN’s 17-mile underground Large Hadron Collider tunnel. In 2025, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah university speaking event.