The Supreme Court hands down decisions every year, but not every one makes history. Here are four landmark cases to know:

1. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

This decision ended segregation in public schools. Prior to this decision, "separate but equal" had been the law of the land. Meaning, segregation was legal as long as the education institutions were on equal footing. However, in Brown v. Board, the Supreme Court overturned its past precedent in saying, "Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Now, segregation of schools by race is unconstitutional.