1964
Association to Repeal Abortion Laws formed
Determined to fight for a country where abortion was legal, Pat Maginnis, Lana Phelan Kahn, and Rowena Gurner, otherwise known as the "Army of Three," joined together to form the historic Association to Repeal Abortion Laws.
1969
NARAL is established
NARAL, first known as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, is officially established at the “First National Conference on Abortion Laws: Modification or Repeal” held in Chicago. Lee Gidding is named the first Executive Director of the organization.
1972
Eisenstadt v. Baird
Eisenstadt v. Baird gives unmarried people the right to access contraception. Previously, this was a right only granted to married couples. The case found that denying access to unmarried people was discriminatory and a violation of the constitution's Equal Protection Clause.
1973
Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that affirmed abortion as a constitutional right for all. The court held that the fundamental right to privacy extends to a woman's decision whether or not to have an abortion. This marked a new beginning of the fight for women’s equality and autonomy.
1973
NARAL name change
Following Roe v. Wade, NARAL changes its name to the National Abortion Rights Action League to reflect the Supreme Court's successful repeal of restrictive abortion laws.
1975
Karen Mulhauser becomes NARAL's National Executive Director
1975
First World Conference on Women
Karen Mulhauser represents NARAL at the first UN Conference on the Status of Women in Mexico City — an acknowledgement by the international community that discrimination against women remains a pervasive problem throughout the world.
1976
The Hyde Amendment passes
The discriminatory Hyde Amendment passes, barring federal funds from being used to pay for abortion except in case of rape or incest or to save the life of the woman. The amendment turned the right to abortion into a privilege reserved for those who could afford it, leaving behind countless low-income women, and especially women of color.
1976
NARAL launches mail campaign to Congress
Efforts by NARAL and other pro-choice organizations generate more pro-choice mail to Congress than ever before in response to the Hyde amendment, which bans federal Medicaid funding for abortion in nearly all cases.
1977
NARAL PAC and NARAL Foundation are established
NARAL becomes increasingly involved in political work, establishing a Political Action Committee and adopting the motto "if it does not bring workers to campaigns and voters to the polls, just don’t do it!" In addition, NARAL Foundation is established to provide an educational component to the work of its sister organization.
1979
NARAL testifies in front of Congress
Representing NARAL, Karen Mulhauser testifies in front of Congress against restricting abortion to Medicaid-eligible women who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest. Karen shares her own rape experience and discusses her ability to access an abortion — an option not afforded to poor women.
1980
NARAL increases its grassroots organizing
After the 1980 elections resulted in an anti-choice president and the loss of pro-choice senators, NARAL increases its grassroots organizing and targeting in an effort to block anti-choice legislation and the ratification of a so-called "human rights constitutional amendment."
1982
Nanette Falkenberg becomes National Executive Director
1985
NARAL launches "Abortion Rights, Silent No More" campaign
NARAL launches the groundbreaking “Abortion Rights, Silent No More” campaign, using the slogan “We are Your Mothers, Your Daughters, Your Sisters, Your Friends, and Abortion is a Choice We Have Made.” The campaign centered women's voices and weaved powerful stories about women's experiences choosing abortion into a political effort to grow support for abortion rights. A collection of 40,000 letters gathered from women in every state are read in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1985.
1985
Kate Michelman becomes NARAL president
1987
NARAL Pro-Choice America and other pro-choice organizations are instrumental in defeating President Reagan’s anti-choice Supreme Court nominee, Judge Robert Bork.
1989
NARAL cosponsors March for Women's Lives
NARAL cosponsors the March for Women’s Lives and Mobilize for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. The march draws record-breaking crowds protesting restrictive, anti-choice laws.
1989
NARAL organizes "Speak Out" rallies nationwide
In response to the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the constitutionality of a Missouri law restricting abortion, NARAL organizes "Speak Out" rallies nationwide encouraging open conversations around reproductive health. The events draw students, celebrities, and activists to the cause.
1992
NARAL organizes the March for Women's Lives
1992
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Planned Parenthood v. Casey upholds the right to access abortion, but scales back the constitutional protections provided by Roe v. Wade.
1993
President Bill Clinton orders reversal of abortion restrictions
On the 20th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Bill Clinton orders the reversal of five discriminatory abortion restrictions left by the Reagan and Bush administrations.
1993
Family and Medical Leave Act
After intense lobbying by NARAL and other women’s groups, Congress passes and President Clinton signs into law the Family and Medical Leave Act.
1994
The passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance (FACE) Act
NARAL works towards the passage and celebrates the enactment of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance (FACE) Act, which forbids threats, force, or physical obstructions aimed at preventing someone from obtaining reproductive health services.
1995
NARAL helps organize the Women's Rights rally
NARAL helps organize the Women’s Rights rally on October 7, 1995 in New York City to protest the arrival of anti-choice Pope John Paul II.
1999
NARAL Foundation launches Choice for America
After receiving the largest grant in its history, the NARAL Foundation launches Choice for America, a multi-year, marketing and mobilization campaign to revitalize the core principles and values underlying the pro-choice position.
2000
Stenberg v. Carhart
The Supreme Court strikes down a Nebraska ban on second-trimester abortions, invalidating similar laws in many other states.
2003
NARAL name change
NARAL changes its name to NARAL Pro-Choice America to coincide with the launch of its largest grassroots mobilization initiative in its history.
2004
NARAL joins the March for Women's Lives
NARAL participates in the March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C. More than a million advocates are present, making the march the largest demonstration in American history up until that point.
2004
Nancy Keenan becomes president of NARAL
2008
NARAL helps elect Barack Obama and 27 new pro-choice members of Congress
The National Journal ranks NARAL Pro-Choice America second among the nation's top 21 political organizations for its impressive win rate among endorsed congressional candidates in hotly contested races.
2009
Pres. Barack Obama overturns Global Gag Rule
In the first few days of his presidency, Barack Obama signs several executive orders, including a repeal of the Global Gag Rule banning federal funds to foreign family planning organizations that offer abortions or provide information or counseling on abortion.
2013
NARAL launches Men for Choice
NARAL launches the Men for Choice program, organizing men who stand with women in the shared fight for reproductive freedom. Prominent Men for Choice include Senator Cory Booker, Senator Chris VanHollen, Governor Gavin Newsom, Norman Lear, Tony Goldwyn, David Eigenberg, Matt McGorry, and Moby.
2015
NARAL calls for investigation into clinic violence
NARAL urges the United States Department of Justice to direct the FBI to investigate attacks on clinics as domestic terrorism just days before an attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.
2016
NARAL endorses Hillary Clinton for president
NARAL endorses Secretary Hillary Clinton for President of the United States ahead of Iowa caucuses.
2016
NARAL joins #AskAboutAbortion campaign
NARAL joins the successful #AskAboutAbortion campaign, started by Renee Bracey Sherman, in which over 50,000 Americans and the heads of nine leading grassroots organizations called on debate moderators to ask a question about abortion during the Democratic primary debates. The campaign shines a light on the fact that abortion is not a niche issue. Rather, it’s foundational to a woman’s ability to determine her own destiny.
2016
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt
In Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the United States Supreme Court rules that certain clinic closure laws in the state of Texas are unconstitutional. The Court found that these laws create huge obstacles to women seeking reproductive healthcare, making a strong case to strike down similar laws in other states.
2016
NARAL President shares her abortion story at the Democratic National Convention
NARAL President Ilyse Hogue makes history by sharing her abortion story on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. This marked the first time anyone shared a personal abortion story on stage at the Democratic Convention.
2016
NARAL pushes for repeal of discriminatory Hyde amendment
NARAL successfully encourages the Democratic National Committee to include a repeal of the discriminatory Hyde Amendment in the party’s platform for the first time.
2017
NARAL sponsors Women's March
NARAL is named a sponsor of the historic Women’s March one day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. NARAL members participated in the March on Washington and sister marches in states across the country with millions of Americans, marking the largest single-day protest in the history of the United States.
2017
NARAL launches "The People's Defense"
Donald Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch to fill a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court following Justice Antonin Scalia’s death. In response, NARAL launches “The People’s Defense,” a massive grassroots campaign to defeat his nomination.
2018
Unite for Justice National Day of Action
NARAL joined MoveOn and other progressive organizations in holding a national day of action to “Unite for Justice” to fight Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Together we demanded that our representatives in Washington act NOW to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to abortion guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. With 202 events in all 50 states, the day of action was the largest single-day protest of a Supreme Court nominee in the nation's history.
2018
NARAL launches midterm election program
NARAL launches its largest ever midterm election program to advance candidates fighting for “Our Values, Our Future, Our Vote,” spending $5 million to invest in candidates up and down the ballot in 19 states.
2019
NARAL launches Reality of Roe campaign
NARAL launches Reality of Roe, a major campaign to educate Americans in all 50 states about the current threat to the legal right to abortion and reproductive freedom in their communities, and to mobilize its more than 2 million members to take action in support of protecting and expanding access. The Reality of Roe campaign works to secure policy victories where opportunities exist — especially as a result of electoral gains at the state level in the 2018 elections — and defends against major legislative threats.
2019
NARAL organizes a #StopTheBans Day of Action for abortion rights
In protest of dangerous abortion bans being passed throughout the country, NARAL organizes a Day of Action in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Thousands of people throughout the country show up to protect reproductive freedom and rally in support of abortion rights.
