Ginsburg, affectionately known as the Notorious RBG, passed away “this evening surrounded by her family at her home in Washington, DC”, the court said in a statement.

Only the second woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court, her death less than two months before a high-stakes presidential election will likely see President Donald Trump move quickly to name her successor.

The Republican-led Senate is equally likely to confirm the nomination at record speed, cementing a conservative majority on the court which has final say on a number of the touchiest subjects dividing America – from abortion to firearms, civil rights to the death penalty.

Ginsburg, born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933, served on the court for 27 years.

“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” Chief Justice John Roberts was quoted as saying in the court statement.

“We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her – a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”