The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Todd Gayles to serve as a district court judge in Florida, with no senators present voting against the nominee.

Gayles becomes the nation's first openly gay black man to serve on a top-level federal judgeship.

A second nominee, Staci Yandle, also won approval, thought the vote was split at 52-44.

Yandle, an openly gay black woman, is set to join a federal district court in Illinois. President Barack Obama has appointed 112 female federal judges, one more than President Bill Clinton.

The confirmations also mark the first time the Senate has confirmed two openly gay judges on the same day.

Torey Carter, managing director at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, which promotes qualified LGBT Americans to judicial posts, applauded the confirmations.

“Today will be marked in history as the day the U.S. Senate confirmed two openly gay judges to the federal bench in the same day,” Carter said in an emailed statement. “I congratulate Judge Gayles and Stacie Yandle on this magnificent accomplishment.”