Historical eventFebruary 241803

Marbury v. Madison

In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional for the first time, forming the basis of judicial review in the United States.

In context

When
Thursday, February 24 1803223 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1800s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1803.

What happened

In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional for the first time, forming the basis of judicial review in the United States.

February 24 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1803Marbury v. Madison
  2. 2004Seismic magnitude scales
  3. 2006President of the Philippines
  4. 2007Reconnaissance satellite
  5. 2008Fidel Castro
  6. 2011Space Shuttle Discovery
  7. 2015Uherský Brod
  8. 2015Metrolink (California)
  9. 2016Tara Air Flight 193
  10. 2020Mahathir Mohamad
  11. 2022Russo-Ukrainian war

Also in 1803

  • November 30Balmis ExpeditionAn expedition led by Francisco Javier de Balmis departed A Coruña, Spain, with the aim of vaccinating millions in South America and Asia…
  • April 30Louisiana PurchaseThe United States purchased France's claim to the Louisiana Territory for 80 million francs, or less than US$.03 per acre ($.07/ha).
  • September 23Maratha EmpireMaratha troops were defeated by forces of the British East India Company at the Battle of Assaye, one of the decisive battles of the Seco…
  • April 26L'Aigle (meteorite)Thousands of meteor fragments fell over L'Aigle, France, becoming a milestone in the understanding of meteorites.

Everything we record for 1803 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Marbury v. Madison”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/marbury-v-madison-1803-february-24, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Marbury v. Madison happen?

February 24 1803 — 223 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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