Here's the breakdown:
* William Marbury was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the District of Columbia by President John Adams.
* John Marshall, an Adams appointee and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was tasked with delivering Marbury's commission.
* James Madison, the new Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, refused to deliver the commission.
* Marbury sued Madison to compel him to deliver the commission, which led to the landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison.
This case established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.