Justice David Souter through the years

— -- Supreme Court Justice David Souter will retire when his term ends in June.

Souter, 69, was appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. A former New Hampshire attorney general and state Supreme Court judge, Souter had been on a U.S. appeals court just three months when Bush selected him.

In recent terms, the usually reserved Souter has been especially active on the bench. This week he was among the most aggressive questioners of a lawyer challenging the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

A Yankee with a dry sense of humor, Souter shuns most of the justices' social activities.

While he is not among the eldest justices on the bench (five others are over 70), he has always made clear that he does not enjoy life in Washington. At the end of the term, Souter, a bachelor, typically races out of town to his home in New Hampshire.

-Joan Biskupic, USA TODAY