Abortion was considered a crime until 1966, when Mississippi passed a law permitting abortion in cases of rape. A number of states then passed laws to expand abortions to include cases in which pregnancy threatens the mother’s health. The first such state was Colorado. Governor John Arthur Love legalized abortions in such cases on this date in 1967. In 1973, two Supreme Court cases broadened the laws by legalizing abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy.

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