A year-by-year timeline of what the asbestos industry knew and did, built from the companies' own papers. It combines three collections in our Library: Johns-Manville's own chronology of what it knew, the documents Ron Motley put before juries, and the files of Sumner Simpson, president of Raybestos-Manhattan. Each line names its collection and links to the document.
You don't need the product names or old records. No fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
By decade
- Before 1930: 24 documents
- The 1930s: 467 documents
- The 1940s: 312 documents
- The 1950s: 349 documents
- The 1960s: 222 documents
- The 1970s: 327 documents
- The 1980s: 55 documents
For the story these documents tell, read Asbestos History.
Cite this page
“Asbestos Timeline.” AsbestosClaims.Law Library. https://asbestosclaims.law/library/history/timeline.
ACL Doc numbers and their short links never change. See how to cite the Library.
Talk with an asbestos lawyer
Start with what you remember, and we'll take it from there.
This page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Every asbestos case turns on its own facts, exposure history, diagnosis, deadlines, available evidence, and applicable law. Reviewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.