Notable Abortion Dates in the 20th Century:
The Post-Legalization Period: 1970-1999

Events listed are not necessarily the most important events of the 20th Century regarding abortion. They are, however, among the most interesting and thought-provoking.

To make it easier to follow themes, I've used color coding. Click on the colors in this paragraph for information about these themes. Pro-life efforts are in green. Maternal deaths are in red. Events that pushed us toward the current abortion regime are in orange. Information about mortality trends are in grey. Saline/instillation abortion trends are in purple. Breast cancer information is in pink. Abortion-related violence is in brown.

1970 Hawaii becomes the first state to repeal its criminal abortion law, legalizing abortions performed before the20th week of pregnancy. New York repeals its abortion laws, creating on-demand abortion for first 24 weeks of pregnancy. * A 31-year-old New York City woman developed pulmonary edema during a saline abortion and died July 19. * The third full year of decriminalized abortion in Maryland sees 7,757 reported abortions, an increase of 217% over the first year. * Two studies released showing increased incidence of breast cancer in abortion patients. (Yuasa and MacMahon, "Lactation and Reproductive Hisotires of Breast-Cancer Patients in Tokyo, Japan," Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 42; Lin, Chen, and MacMahon, "Epidemiologic Characteristics of Cancer of the Breast in Taiwan," Cancer, Vol. 27) * M. J. Daly publishes the observation that ambivalence in early pregnancy is so common that it should be considered normal.(RFRG)

1973 US Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton overturn virtually every US abortion law. The Court cites allegations of the safety of legal abortion to support its decision. * Article in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology notes 50% complication rate with saline abortions. * Dr. Albert Altchek, a proponent of legalization, expresses misgivings due to the unregulated nature of US abortion practice. * Dr. Benjamin Munson sends Linda Padfield home with retained fetal parts after her abortion; she dies of sepsis. Munson is tired for manslaughter but beats the rap on the grounds that prosecutors can't prove that he intended for Linda to die.* CDC counts 25 legal abortion deaths, 19 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1974 Study shows link between abortion of first pregnancy and increased breast cancer in women under age 32. (Stavarky and Emmons, "Breast Cancer in Pre-Menopausal and Post-Menopausal Women," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 53)* CDC counts 26 legal abortion deaths, 6 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1975 Cheryl Tubbs, age 29, dies in California when her uterus ruptures during a saline abortion.* CDC counts 29 legal abortion deaths, 4 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1976 Pro-choice activist Madga Denes publishes In Necessity and Sorrow. Although the book flopped among abortion advocates, it became a staple in life advocates' libraries for its unflinching look behind the scenes in a typical US abortion facility.* CDC abortion mortality numbers become chaotic; Abortion Surveillance counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 2 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1977 National Abortion Federation founded. * Hyde Amendment abolishes Federal funding of elective abortions, leading abortion advocates to scour the country for an illegal abortion death they can use for political fodder. * Jackie Bailey, age 29, died in California when her uterus ruptured during a saline abortion. * Study released showing breast cancer incidence rising with number of induced abortions. (Soini, "Risk Factors of Breast Cancer in Finland," International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 6). * Rosie Jiminez, who had purchased two previous abortions with Medicaid dollars, dies of an illegal abortion after her usual doctor brusquely dismisses her with the admonition that Medicaid will no longer fund elective abortions. Abortion advocates mobilize to attempt to restore abortion funding. 7 illegal abortion deaths are reported to the CDC. Since the CDC counts a death as illegal abortion if the doctor's license wasn't active, some of these deaths may have taken place in openly operating, legal facilities.* CDC counts 17 legal abortion deaths, 4 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1978 Chicago Sun-Times "Abortion Profiteers" series reveals 12 Chicago-area abortion deaths and gives life advocates ammunition with exposure of practices inside abortion mills. * Elizabeth Tsuji, age 21, dies in California of complications from a saline abortion. * Study released showing increase in breast cancer risk in women with pregnancies lasting less than four months. (Choi et al, "An Epidemiologic Study of Breast Cancer," American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 107) Another study showed increased risk of breast cancer with increased number of induced abortions. (Dvoirin and Medvedev, "The Role of Reproductive History in Breast Cancer Causation," Methods and Results of Studies of Breast Cancer Epidemiology, Estonia (in Russian)* CDC counts 9 legal abortion deaths, 7 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1981 Study released suggesting link between early abortion and increased breast cancer risk. (Pike et al, "Oral Contraceptive use and Early Abortion as Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Young Women," British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 43)* CDC counts 8 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1982 Philadelphia Inquirer publishes "The Dreaded Complication," exposing the problem of infants born live during abortions. Publicity hastens development of Dilation and Evacuation procedures as safer for mother and more likely to ensure death of fetus. * Angel Dardie dies in Detroit from complications of a saline abortion.* CDC counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1983 US Supreme Court, in Akron v. Akron Reproductive Health Services, declares that states may not require abortion facilities to fully inform abortion patients on the grounds that any information that might increase anxiety or lead a woman to reject abortion interferes with her right to choose the abortion. * Study released showing increased incidence of breast cancer recurrance among women who have had abortions. (Brinton et al, "Reproductive Factors in the Aetiology of Breast Cancer," British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 47); Study released showing link between induced abortion and poor breast cancer prognosis. (Ownsby et al, "Interrupted Pregnancy as One Indicator of Poor Prognosis in T1, T2, No. Mo Primary Breast Cancer," Breast Cancer Resources and Treatment, Vol. 3)* CDC counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1984 Mickey Apodaca dies after abortion by Raymond Showery. Showery was out on bond pending appeal of a murder conviction for the smothering of an infant born live during an abortion. Pro choice activists rally outside courthouse with signs reading, "Free Raymond Showery." * Mary Pena bleeds to death after an abortion at National Abortion Federation facility. Staff arrange for Mary's body to be processed through the morgue without an autopsy. When Orange County officials recieved Mary's death certificate, indicating she had died of "natural" causes, she was exhumed and an autopsy performed, revealing the real cause of death.* CDC counts 12 legal abortion deaths, 0 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1985 Study released showing increased incidence of breast cancer in women with history of induced abortion. (Hirohata et al, "Occurrence of Breast Cancer in Relation to Diet and Reproductive History: A Case-Control Study in Fukuoka, Japan," National Cancer Institute, Vol. 69) * Dr. Benjamin Munson, who already beat a manslaughter rap in the death of Linda Padfield in 1973, sends 18-year-old Yvonne Mesteth home to die of sepsis due to retained fetal parts after an abortion. Again, he is prosecuted for manslaughter. Again, he beats the rap.* CDC counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1986 Dr. Jack Willke and other pro-life leaders meet with CDC officials in an attempt to generate support for a "five-year, prospective, double-blind study" to accurately tabulate the complications of abortion. They were stonewalled. Willke lamented that "an unsophisticated observer would have been convinced that such a study was all but impossible and, since it was so obvious that pregnancy was more dangerous, why even try." * Cristella Forte, age 16, screams, foams at the mouth, and dies during a saline abortion in Michigan. * Study released showing increase in breast cancer risk with first pregnancy ending in induced abortion (Hadjimichael et al, "Abortion Before First Live Birth and Risk of Breast Cancer," British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 53) * Dr. Arnold Bickham shoves addled and bleeding Sylvia Moore out the door of his clinic on New Year's Eve, allowing her to bleed to death from abortion injuries. Although the death was ruled a homicide, Bickham was not prosecuted.* CDC counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 0 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1987 Pro choice activist Frank Mandiola caught phoning bomb threats to abortion clinics on the (correct) assumption that prolifers would be blamed for the threats. * David Reardon publishes Aborted Women: Silent No More, fueling the growing post-abortion movement within pro-life ranks. * Studies released showing that women who have abortion before first live birth have greater risk of breast cancer than women who have live birth before first abortion. (Cancer Incidence in Sweden 1971-1984, Stockholm: National Board of Health and Welfare; LaVecchia et al, "Beneral Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Northern Italy," International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 16) * New York City Commissioner of Health produces memo reporting 10 deaths of New York City abortion patients due to poorly administered anesthesia during the period 1981-1984, compared with 12 reported anesthesia deaths in the rest of the country during that period.* CDC counts 7 legal abortion deaths, 2 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1988 Reported legal abortions in Maryland reach 23,707, a greater than 10-fold increase since it was first legalized. Abortion supporters continue to claim that legalization does not increase the incidence of abortion but merely replaces criminal abortions with legal abortions 1:1. * 2 studies released linking abortion with increased breast cancer risk. (Ewertz et al, "Risk of Breast Cancer in Relation to Reproductive Factors in Denmark," British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 58; Yuan et al, "Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Chinese Women in Shanghai," Cancer Resources, Vol. 48)* CDC counts 16 legal abortion deaths, 0 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1989 In Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Supreme Court upholds a state's right to withhold public funds, facilities, and employees from abortion activities. * Miami Herald's series on Dadeland and other seedy abortion mills refreshes pro life efforts to expose underhanded abortion practices. Abortion advocates respond by forming the Florida Abortion Counncil (FLAC) to block legislative and regulatory efforts to clean up the abortion industry in Florida. Says FLAC co-founder Janice Compton-Carr, "In my gut, I am completely aghast at what goes on at that place. But I staunchly oppose anything that would correct this situation in law." * Study released showing better survival for women who continue pregnancy during breast cancer treatment than for women who elect abortion. (Clark and Chua, "Breast Cancer and Pregnancy: The Ultimate Challenge," Clinical Oncology of the Royal College of Radiology, Vol. 1) Two studies released showing link between abortion and increased breast cancer. (Howe et al, "early Abortion and Breast-Cancer Risk Among Women Under 40," International Jourlan of Epidemiology, Vol. 18; Lindefors-Harris et al, "Risk of Cancer of the Breast After Legal Abortion During First Trimester: A Swedish Register Study," British Medical Journal, Vol. 299) * Marla Ann Cardamone dies at Magee Women's Hospital after an instillation abortion.* CDC counts 12 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1990 * CDC counts 5 legal abortion deaths, 0 illegal abortion deaths.CDC

1991 Four studies released on correlation between abortion and increased breast cancer risks. (Olsson et al, "Proliferation and DNA Pliody in Malignant Breast Tumors in Relation to Early Oral Contraceptive Use and Early Abortions," Cancer, Vol. 67; Olsson et al, "Her-2/neu and INT2 Proto-Oncogene Amplification in Malignant Breast Tumors in Relation to Reproductive Factors and Exposure to Exogenous Hormones," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 83; Parazzini et al, "Spontaneous and Induced Abortions and Risk of Breast Cancer," International Journal of Cancer, Vol. 48; Shimizu et al, "Cancers of the Prostate and Breast Among Japanese and White Immigrants in Los Angeles County," British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 63) * Angela Hall dies from botched abortion by Dr. Thomas Tucker, leaving 5 children motherless. National Coalition of Abortion Providers head Ron Fitzsimmons defends Tucker, on the grounds that if Tucker loses his license, Alabama might end up with an abortionist worse than Tucker or -- horror of horrors -- no abortionist at all. * National Abortion Federation member Abu Hayat attempts a 32-week abortion in his office, resulting in the birth of a maimed child, Ana Rosa Rodriguez. NAF remains silent, National Right to Life goes on the offensive. * CDC counts 11 legal abortion deaths, 1 illegal abortion death.CDC

1993 Abortionist George Patterson gunned down outside porn theater. Anti-prolifer hysteria cools after police reveal that the murder appeared to be a mob hit due to Patterson's gambling debts. Abortionist David Gunn, who drove a car similar to Patterson's, was gunned down earlier in the year by Michael Griffin outside a Florida abortion facility where Patterson often worked. Media and abortion advocates blamed pro lifers, although Griffin had no ties to pro life groups or activities. * Angela Sanchez, age 27, dies at what had appeared to be a legal abortion clinic in Santa Ana, California. When Angela's daughter and sister sought her that night, they found Alicia Hanna, who had been posing as a doctor and doing abortions, stuffing Angela's stiffening body into the trunk of her own car. Hanna later confessed that her plan had been to dump Angela's car, with the body in it, somewhere far away in hopes that it would not be associated with her clinic. Hanna was later convicted of second-degree murder in Angela's death.

1994 Paul Hill guns down abortionist John Britton and his bodyguard outside a Pensacola abortion facility. Despite the fact that Hill had been drummed out of the prolife movement for his advocacy of violence, pro lifers are blamed for the shootings. Pamela Coleson had died earlier that year from an abortion at a Pensacola clinic; staff at that clinic waited until Britton's death to press charges against life activist Vickie Conroy for her part in hanging a memorial wreath on the clinic door. * Canadian abortionist Garson Romalis shot in his home by a sniper, launching Justice Department probe attempting to find a conspiracy among pro lifers to kill abortionists. The probe found no evidence of any conspiracy, and Romalis' assailant was never identified. * Dr. Janet Daling publishes study linking abortion and breast cancer. This study captures media attention, creating outcry among abortion supporters and "I told you so's" among pro-lifers. (Daling, et al, "Risk of Breast Cancer Among Young Women: Relationship to Induced Abortion," Journal of the National Cancer Intitute, Vol. 86)

1998 Bomb kills off-duty police officer and wounds nurse at Birmingham abortion facility. Although law enforcement believe that suspect Eric Rudolph was motivated by hatred for authority (hence targeting the police officer and any bomb squad officers who might have arrived to investigate), pro lifers are blamed by abortion advocates and the media. * Lou Ann Herron becomes the fourth woman to die in a clinic owned by Dr. Moshe Hachamovitch. Herron is the second known death for abortionist Dr. John Biskind.

1900 - 1950: Pre-Paradigm Shift
1950 - 1970: The Transitional Period
1970 - 1999: The Post-Legalization Era

Elsewhere on the Net:
Abortion's Roots in America
Evolution of the Abortion Debate

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