| 3000 BC |
Asbestos used for wicks in lamps and candles and woven in cloth used for wrapping embalmed bodies in Egypt. |
| 2500 BC |
Asbestos found in pottery in Europe. |
| 1200 AD |
Asbestos mined in China; used in heating and cooking utensils. |
| 1700 |
Used to strengthen paper and hardboard products in Italy. |
| 1712 |
Chrysotile mined in Russia. |
| 1724 |
Used in clothing and accessories in England. |
| 1805 |
Crocidolite mined in South Africa. |
| 1828 |
First asbestos patent issued in U.S.A.; for insulating material used in steam engines. |
| 1850 |
Chrysotile mining begins in Canada. |
| 1850 |
Asbestos protective gear used by fire brigades in France. |
| 1866 |
Tremolite mining begins in Italy. |
| 1871 |
Asbestos board manufacturing begins in Europe. |
| 1872 |
“Age of Asbestos” begins with large scale mining of asbestos in Canada. |
| 1880s |
Multiple industrial applications developed in U. S. |
| 1880s |
Insulation uses for railroads, steam engines, boiler insulation. |
| 1890 |
Evidence of pulmonary disease in asbestos workers reported in England. |
| 1900 |
Introduction of multiple asbestos automotive applications. |
| 1900 |
Anthophyllite mining begins in Europe. |
| 1906 |
Asbestos brake linings manufactured in the USA. |
| 1907 |
Amosite mining begins in South Africa. |
| 1913 |
Asbestos pipe insulation introduced. |
| 1915 |
Asbestos brake linings manufactured. |
| 1919 |
Asbestos sheet manufactured. |
| 1920 |
Crocidolite used for railroad engine insulation. |
| 1931 |
England initiates regulations to protect asbestos workers from apparent hazards of exposure, including lung disease. |
| 1931 |
Name given to cancer of lung pleura: “mesothelioma” |
| 1934 |
Primary asbestos companies begin effort to conceal hazards of exposure |
| 1939 |
World War II; dramatic increase in asbestos use for military gear, safety equipment, fire protection and shipbuilding. |
| 1945 |
Asbestos usage expands in U. S. post-war commercial and residential construction; insulation, flooring, roofing and sealant products. |
| 1950s |
Asbestos used as additive in thousands of industrial and consumer products. |
| 1952 |
Leading asbestos company (Johns-Manville) declines recommendation to add warning labels to asbestos products. |
| 1960s |
Health studies confirm dangers of long-term asbestos exposure. |
| 1964 |
AMA report documents high risk of asbestosis and mesothelioma for asbestos workers |
| 1971 |
OSHA issues 1st regulatory standards for asbestos exposure |
| 1973 |
EPA bans use of asbestos spray-on insulation |
| 1973 |
Medical researcher tells Congress asbestos will kill 1,000,000 people by 2000. |
| 1974 |
Asbestos use/consumption peaks at 4 million tons per year. |
| 1977 |
Asbestos claims by U. S. insulation workers rejected. |
| 1977 |
Insurance actuaries project as many as 35,000 claims and $1.25 billion in costs for injuries and deaths caused by asbestos. |
| 1977 |
Introduction of first attempt at legislative reform of asbestos litigation system by U. S. Congress; blocked in committee. |
| 1978 |
Evidence reveals asbestos makers Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, Eagle-Pichers, Raybestos and National Gypsum suppressed asbestos hazard data. |
| 1978 |
First U. S. court ruling that primary asbestos companies intentionally suppressed information of asbestos hazards to workers. |
| 1979 |
U. S. government institutes ban of most use and sale of asbestos |
| 1981 |
South Carolina court awards $1.85 million to worker injured by asbestos: age of asbestos litigation begins. |
| 1982 |
Georgia court orders first consolidation of cases: asbestos mass tort litigation begins. More than 800,000 cases will be filed in next 25 years. |
| 1982 |
Johns-Manville files bankruptcy in face of more than 40,000 claims. |
| 1985 |
10th asbestos legislation proposal in Congress stymied in committee. |
| 1986 |
Asbestos claims reach 30,000, primarily for injured workers in insulation, pipefitting, shipbuilding, railroad workers, asbestos miners) |
| 1990 |
Manville Trust Fund depleted. |
| 1994 |
Asbestos claims mount to 325,000. |
| 1996 |
Asbestos-specialty law firms initiate mass screenings in search of potential clients. |
| 1998 |
Supreme Court decries “elephantine mass of asbestos litigation” and urges Congress to act to reform system. |
| 1999 |
New lawsuits filed by “uninjured claimants” outnumber injured 10-1. |
| 2002 |
Asbestos litigation claims title as “costliest mass tort in history” |
| 2001 |
Number of company defendants named in asbestos claims surpass 8,000. |
| 2003 |
Asbestos claims at 730,000. |
| 2004 |
79th company files for bankruptcy protection related to asbestos litigation. |
| 2005 |
W. R. Grace officials indicted for criminal conspiracy: coverup of hazards at Libby, Montana asbestos mine. |
| 2005 |
Ohio passes first state law limiting asbestos claims by uninjured claimants. |
| 2005 |
Total costs of Asbestos Crisis in U.S. projected to reach $285 billion. |
| 2005 |
Federal judge in Texas cites “red flags of fraud” in alleged “double-dipping” case. |
| 2006 |
FAIR Act proposal for $140 billion asbestos trust fund blocked in U. S. Senate. |
| 2006 |
Federal prosecutors investigate 3 prominent asbestos law firms. |
| 2006 |
Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi pass new regulations for asbestos claims. |
| 2006 |
Congress investigates B-reader fraud. |
| 2006 |
Asbestos claim filings at 910,000; projected to reach 2.5 million. |
| 2006 |
Asbestos-related deaths exceed 20,000. |
| 2007 |
Asbestos costs pass $100 billion; projected to exceed $300 billion. |
“The situation has reached critical dimensions, and is becoming a disaster of major proportions … the worst is yet to come.” 
