Dianne Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. Senator, died Thursday. She was 90.
In this obituary published Friday, Feinstein was remembered for her “tenacity,” particularly when it came to pressing for passage of the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, and as “a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state.”
Feinstein, a trailblazer for women and gay rights, pioneered a number of firsts: first woman mayor of San Francisco, first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the first woman to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee
FILE – San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein carries a candle as she leads an estimated 15,000 marchers also carrying candles during a march in memory of slain Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco, Nov. 28, 1979. In the background is a sign that says “Gay Love is Gay Power.” (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) FILE – San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, named mayor following the assassination of late Mayor George Moscone, in San Francisco, Dec. 12, 1979. With her on the victory platform are, from left, Moscone’s widow, Gina Moscone, Assemblyman Willie Brown and Feinstein’s fiancé, Richard Blum. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has died. (AP Photo/Sal Veder, File) FILE – Chief Justice Rose Bird, left, administers the oath of office as Dianne Feinstein is sworn in as mayor of San Francisco during ceremonies in the City Hall, San Francisco, Jan. 8, 1980. (AP Photo/Sal Veder, File) FILE – Former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein celebrates in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 8, 1992, after announcing her victory for one of California’s U.S. Senate seats. (AP Photo/George Nikitin, File) Then-President Bill Clinton dons a Carlmont cap from student Therese Sangervasi at a lectern with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Tom Lantos at Carlmont High School in Belmont, Calif., on October 22, 1994. (Lloyd Francis Jr./Staff Archives) FILE – Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., left, accompanied by Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., holds an AR-15 assault-style rifle with a collapsible stock during a Capitol Hill news conference Friday March 22, 1996, after the House voted to repeal the two-year-old assault-style firearms ban. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has died. (AP Photo/John Duricka, File) Sen. Dianne Feinstein shakes hands with students in a fourth grade class at Stonegate Elementary School in San Jose Thursday before speaking about her education initiative on January 15, 1998. (Richard Koci Hernandez/Staff Archives) FILE – Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., ends the Tuesday night session of the 2000 Democratic National Convention in the Staples Center, Aug. 15, 2000, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds) California Senator Dianne Feinstein faces the media following her keynote address before the delegates that constitute the California delegation. They were gathered for a delegates breakfast Tuesday morning before the afternoon’s Democratic National Convention activities began at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on August 15, 2000. Feinstein, once touted as a possible running mate to Al Gore, graciously fell to the background, saying all along she wasn’t interested in being Vice-President. (Richard Koci Hernandez/Staff Archives) Bay Area political and religious leaders gathered Monday, September 17, 2001 for a “San Francisco Day of Remembrance,” Monday morning at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. From left are Governor Gray Davis, left, His Eminence, Metropolitan Anthony of the Greek Orthodox Church, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Secretary George Schultz, Senator Barbara Boxer, Rabbi Martin Weiner, Congregation Sherith Israel, and Tom Ammiano, President of the Board of Supervisors. (Susanna Frohman/Staff Archives) US Senator Dianne Feinstein(D-CA) grabs an AK-47 during a press conference at the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on August 21, 2003. (Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) holds up pirated DVDs during a news conference announcing legislation to combat copyright piracy in Washington D.C. on November 13, 2003. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice (L) President Bush’s Secretary of State nominee, talks with Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) prior to her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington D.C. on January 18, 2005. (Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein weds Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and Anne Gust at the Rotunda Building in Oakland, CA on June 18th, 2005. (Sean Connelley/Staff Archives) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein listens to testimony during the confirmation hearing of U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Samuel Alito on the third day of hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on January 11, 2006. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) California Sen. Dianne Feinstein greets the crowd as she begins the presidential nomination process during the Democratic National Convention at the Fleet Center in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, July 28, 2004. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) speaks during a Judiciary Committee meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on January 24, 2006. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) participates in a hearing of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on pre-war intelligence relating to the 2003 invasion of Iraq in Washington D.C. on June 26, 2006. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk, left, answers questions as Sen. Dianne Feinstein looks on during the official reopening ceremony of the former NUMMI auto plant by the new owners inFremont, Calif., on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. The electric car company plans to build its Model S sedan at the plant. (Anda Chu/Staff Archives) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein joins UCSF medical students as they gather at Civic Center during a March For Our Lives rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, March 24, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff Archives) U.S. senator Dianne Feinstein shakes hands with people at Civic Center during a March For Our Lives rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, March 24, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff Archives) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein waves as she leaves the Civic Center during a March For Our Lives rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, March 24, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff Archives) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein poses for selfies with supporters at her election night party in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. (Karl Mondon/Staff Archives) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, with her husband Richard Blum, listens to her introduction at her election night party in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. (Karl Mondon/Staff Archives) Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) walks to the Senate Chambers during a series of the votes at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on Monday, February 13, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
