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Oliver Wendell Holmes the younger, ( March 8, 1841 - March 6, 1935) was an American jurist noted for his progressive decisions, often contrary to that of other judges of his time. He was called The Great Dissenter.

Holmes was born in Boston, the son of the prominent writer and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.. He graduated from Harvard in 1861 and then joined the United States Army in the American Civil War. He saw much action, and suffered wounds at the Battle of Ball's Bluff , Antietam and the Second Battle of Fredericksburg . He was mustered out in 1864 as a brevet Lieutenant-Colonel.

One Civil War story is well known: In July, 1864, the Confederates got north of Washington, D.C., and Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln ( February 12, 1809 April 15, 1865) was the 16th ( 1861- 1865) President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. The election of Lincoln, who staunchly opposed the expansion of slavery, polarized the nation came out to see the troops. At six foot four, with his stovepipe hat adding eight inches to his height, Lincoln stood on the parapetA parapet (from the Italian parapetto and/or the French parapet from Italian para imperative of Italian parare (to cover, defend) and petto (breast), ultimately from the Latin pectus (breast); the Germans use the term Brustwehr (breast-defence)) consists, watching smoke puffs from Confederate sniperThis article is about the military occupation. For other uses, see Sniper (disambiguation). The traditional definition of a sniper is an infantry soldier especially skilled in field craft and marksmanship who stalks and kills selected enemy with a singles, seemingly unafraid, even when an officer three feet from him was dropped by a Confederate bulletA bullet is a typographic symbol (seen to the left). It is called a bullet point in Britain. Bullet was also the name of Roy Rogers' dog. 357 Magnum cartridges, containing bullets. A bullet is usually a metal alloy projectile shot by a gun. As opposed to. A 23-year old Oliver Wendall Holmes saw this foolhardy target sticking up, and not realizing it was the President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. Under the U. Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and commander in chief of the armed forces. Because of the superpower status of th, shouted, "Get down, you damn fool, before you get shot!" Lincoln promptly obeyed.

Holmes then returned to Harvard to study lawThis article is about law in society. For other possible meanings, see law (disambiguation). Law (a loanword from Danish-Norwegian lov , in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules of conduct which mandate or proscribe (or both) specified relationshi, being admitted to the bar in 18661866 is a common year starting on Monday. Events January 6 Ottoman troops clash with men of a Maronite leader Karam in St. Doumit in Lebanon Turks are defeated January 12 Royal Aeronautical Society is formed ( London) January 28 800 Maronite troops clash, and went into practice in Boston.

In 1870 he became editor of the American Law Review . In 1881 he published the first edition of his well regarded book The Common Law. In 1882 he became both a professor at Harvard Law School and a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In 1899 he was appointed chief justice of the state court. He became known for his innovative, well reasoned decisions, balancing property rights with rule by the majority, with the latter taking precedence over the former. He was one of the first to recognize workers' right to organize trade unions as long as no violence or coercion was involved, contrary to some earlier decisions by others who had argued that organized labor was by nature illegal.

In 1902 he was appointed to the United States Supreme Court, where he was known for his progressive opinions. (His decision in Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200 (1927), where he justified compulsory sterilization of the retarded with the words "[t]hree generations of imbeciles are enough," is a notable exception.) He served until January 12, 1932, when his fellow brethren on the court, citing his advanced age (Holmes, at 90, was the oldest serving justice in the Court's history), hesitantly requested that he step down, which he complied with. He died in Washington, D.C. in 1935.

The 1951 Hollywood motion picture " The Magnificent Yankee" was based on a play about his life. Holmes famously ruled that professional baseball could not be subject to antitrust law because it was not interstate commerce.