CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS RELATED TO ASSISTED SUICIDE

1937
The National Society for the Legalization of Euthanasia (NSLE) was founded in the United States.

January 16, 1938
The NSLE re-organizes as the Euthanasia Society of America. (ESA)

February 14, 1939
ESA treasurer, Charles Nixdorff, is quoted in a New York Times article that ESA "hoped eventually to legalize the putting to death of non-volunteers beyond the help of medical science." 

1967
ESA forms a tax-exempt division called the Euthanasia Education Fund.

1968
Living Wills are introduced by EEF attorney Louis Kutner in an Indiana Law Journal article titled: "Due Process of Euthanasia: The Living Will, a Proposal."

1972
Euthanasia Education Fund changes its name to the Euthanasia Education Council.

1974
Euthanasia Society of America changes its name to the Society for the Right to Die.

1975
California enacts the first Living Will law in the country.

1975
Derek Humphry authors a book titled, Jean's Way in which he describes how he assisted in his wife's suicide by mixing a concoction of drugs for her to drink.

1979
The Euthanasia Education Council changes its name to Concern for Dying.

1980
After moving to the U.S. from England, Derek and Ann Humphry found the Hemlock Society, an organization committed to the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

May 15, 1988
The California-based Americans Against Human Suffering, a Hemlock Society spinoff group, fails to qualify the  Humane and Dignified Death Act (HDDA) for the November 1988 ballot in California. The HDDA was the first attempt in the U.S. to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia by voter approval.

December 1988
Right to Life of Michigan develops a model antiassisted suicide law should one be needed.

January 1990
The Hemlock Society Quarterly publishes an article indicating that assisted suicide may be legal in Michigan. The article specifically mentions Jack Kevorkian.

February 8, 1990
Internal strife within the Hemlock Society emerges as it is revealed that Derek Humphry abandoned his second wife, Ann, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Humphry's first wife also had breast cancer.

June 4, 1990
Kevorkian assists Janet Adkins, 54, of Oregon in suicide. Adkins died in Kevorkian's van by an intravenous infusion of drugs.  Adkins was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

June 8, 1990
Judge Alice Gilbert issues a preliminary injunction barring Kevorkian from further use of his suicide machine.

June 1990
Rep. Ciaramitaro and Sen. Dillingham introduce legislation to criminalize assisted suicide in Michigan.

August 18, 1990
Bertram and Virginia Harper of California come to Michigan under the belief that assisted suicide is legal. Mrs. Harper dies in a suicide/homicide incident. Mr. Harper is charged with murder. Mrs. Harper was diagnosed with cancer.

December 3, 1990
Kevorkian is charged with murder in the death of Janet Adkins.

December 13, 1990
Murder charges in the Adkins case against Kevorkian are dismissed by Judge McNally.

Winter 1990/1991
The Society for the Right to Die and Concern for Dying begin a merging process, combining the two groups under the name, Choice in Dying, Inc.

January 2, 1991
Washington Citizens for Death with Dignity indicate they have collected some 212,000 signatures on a initiative petition to place a Death with Dignity Act on the Washington ballot. The initiative would legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.

January 31, 1991
Michigan Legislators reintroduce antisuicide legislation, H.B. 4038 and S.B. 32.

February 5, 1991
An injunction against Kevorkian preventing use of his suicide machine is made permanent by Judge Gilbert.

March 7, 1991
Dr. Timothy Quill publishes an article in the New England Journal of Medicine revealing how he assisted in the death of one of his patients by prescribing for her a lethal dose of medication. A medical board of inquiry examining the case refused to issue any sanctions against Quill.

March 14, 1991
Washington Citizens for Death with Dignity submit 223,000 signatures for their ballot initiative, which is later designated as Initiative 119 for the November election.

March 19, 1991
Michigan Senate passes S.B. 32 anti-suicide legislation, by a vote of 268.

May 10, 1991
Bertram Harper acquitted of second degree murder.

August 17, 1991
Derek Humphry's how to suicide manual, Final Exit, becomes a No. 1 best-seller on the New York Times category of advice books.

September 10, 1991
The Dutch Remmelink Commission issues its report showing thousands of Dutch patients being killed by their physicians without ever requesting death.

October 2, 1991
Ann Humphry, 49, estranged wife of Derek Humphry, commits suicide. In her suicide note she states that Derek's first wife Jean actually died from Derek suffocating her rather than from the drugs she ingested.

October 23, 1991
Kevorkian assists two nonterminally ill women in suicide, Marjorie Wantz, 58, and Sherry Miller, 43. The women died in a cabin at a state park. Wantz died from intravenous drugs, Miller died by inhaling carbon monoxide. Wantz was alleged to have pelvic pain, Miller had multiple sclerosis.

October 24, 1991
Michigan Rep. Perry Bullard appoints a three member Judiciary subcommittee on assisted suicide. (No prolife members named)

October 29, 1991
Two additional subcommittee members are appointed. (Both prolife)

November 5, 1991
By a vote of 54% to 46%, the citizens of Washington reject Initiative 119.

November 9, 1991
Subcommittee on Death and Dying holds an organizational meeting, determines that hearings should begin promptly.

November 20, 1991
Michigan State medical board votes unanimously to suspend Kevorkian's medical license.

December 19, 1991
Oakland County Prosecutor Richard Thompson asks a grand jury to determine if there is a basis for charging Kevorkian in the WantzMiller case.

December 1991 - March 20, 1992
House Subcommittee on Death and Dying holds public hearings in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Oak Park.

January 30, 1992
The American Bar Association's House of Delegates rejects a resolution endorsing the enactment of statutes to legalize "voluntary aid-in-dying" for the terminally ill.

February 3, 1992
An Oakland County grand jury indicts Kevorkian on two counts of open murder.

February 12, 1992
Hemlock Society founder, Derek Humphry announces his resignation as Hemlock's executive director.

February 28, 1992
Judge Sheehy binds Kevorkian for trial based on the grand jury indictment.

March 7, 1992
The Australian government cites the Federal Censorship & Customs legislation as its authority in banning the importation of Derek Humphry's suicide manual, Final Exit.

March 1992
Californians Against Human Suffering announces that it has collected enough signatures to place a Death with Dignity Act on the November 1992 ballot. The initiative was titled Proposition 161 and was very similar to the failed Washington Initiative 119.

April 1992
Sidney Rosoff, former president and executive director of the Society for the Right to Die becomes president of the Hemlock Society.

May 15, 1992
Kevorkian assists 52 year old Susan Williams in suicide at her Clawson, MI home. Williams died by inhaling carbon monoxide allegedly supplied by Kevorkian. Williams had multiple sclerosis.

July 21, 1992
Oakland County Circuit Judge David Breck dismisses murder charges against Kevorkian in the WantzMiller case. Breck declares that there is no law against assisted suicide and that patients have a right to request such assistance.

July 23, 1992
Michigan House Speaker Lewis Dodak sets a September deadline for the Subcommittee to issue a recommendation.

September 26, 1992
Kevorkian assists Lois Hawes, 52, of Warren in committing suicide. Hawes died by inhaling carbon monoxide allegedly supplied by Kevorkian. Hawes had lung cancer.

November 3, 1992
California voters reject Proposition 161 to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide by a vote of 54% to 46%.

November 3, 1992
California voters reject Proposition 161 to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide by a vote of 54% to 46%.

November 12, 1992
The House Judiciary Committee reports out only H.B. 4501.  No action was taken on either H.B. 5415 or S.B. 32.

November 23, 1992
Kevorkian assists Catherine Andreyev, 46, of Moon Township Pennsylvania in committing suicide. Andreyev, who died by inhaling carbon monoxide, had cancer.

November 24, 1992
By a vote of 7229, the Michigan House passes H.B. 4501 establishing a commission to study assisted suicide. An amendment to the bill also creates a felony charge for persons who assist in a suicide.

December 3, 1992
The Michigan Senate passes H.B. 4501 by a vote of 246.

December 15, 1992
Kevorkian assists in the suicides of Marguerite Tate, 70, and Marcella Lawrence, 67. Both women died in Tate's Auburn Hills home by inhaling carbon monoxide supplied by Kevorkian. Tate had Lou Gehrig's disease, Lawrence had arthritis, emphysema, and a heart condition. Hours after the TateLawrence suicides, Governor John Engler signs H.B. 4501 (Public Act 270 of 1992) prohibiting assisted suicide which will not take effect until March 30, 1993.

January 20, 1993
Kevorkian assists in the suicide of 53 year old Jack Miller. Miller, of Huron Twp, was diagnosed with bone cancer and died by inhaling carbon monoxide.

February 4, 1993
Kevorkian assists in the deaths of Stanley Ball, 82, and Mary Biernat, 73. Both died in Ball's Leland, MI home by inhaling carbon monoxide. Ball had pancreatic cancer; Biernat, from Crown Point, Indiana, had breast cancer.

February 9, 1993
The lower House of the Dutch Parliament approves a bill to exempt doctors from euthanasia prosecutions if they follow the "carefulness requirements" prescribed in the bill. Technically, assisted suicide and euthanasia remained illegal.

February 11, 1993
The Michigan Senate approves Senate Bill 211 by a vote of 331. S.B. 211 provides technical amendments to the law banning assisted suicide to exempt nonlicensed care givers who provide pain medications under a hospice program.

The same day, the Dutch Justice Ministry proposed euthanasia guidelines for the killing of patients without a specific patient request (i.e. involuntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia).

February 15, 1993
Kevorkian assists in the suicide of Hugh Gale, 70, in Gale's Roseville, MI home. Gale had emphysema and heart disease, he died by inhaling carbon monoxide.

February 18, 1993
Kevorkian assists in the suicide of two Californians, Jonathon Grenz, 44 of Costa Mesa, and Martha Ruwart, 41, of CardiffbytheSea. Both had cancer and died by carbon monoxide in the home of Kevorkian assistant Neal Nicols.

February 23, 1993
The Michigan House Judiciary Committee reports S.B. 211 to the House floor without amendments.

February 25, 1993
The Michigan House passes S.B. 211 [92-10] to move the effective date of the suicide ban to February 25, with the Senate concurring 286 that afternoon. Gov. Engler signed the bill at 5:00 p.m., giving the law immediate effect, (PA 3). Later in the evening, Oakland and Macomb county prosecutors executed search warrants on the homes of Jack Kevorkian and Hugh Gale. Evidence presented to the prosecutors indicated that Mr. Gale may have expressed a desire for his suicide attempt to be stopped.

March 1, 1993
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court on behalf of Michigan cancer patients and health professionals, challenging the constitutionality of the ban on assisted suicide.

May 16, 1993
Kevorkian assisted in the suicide of Ronald Mansur, 54, of Southfield, MI. He was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer. He died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

May 20, 1993
Wayne County Circuit Court Cynthia Stephens struck down the Michigan law banning assisted suicide saying that it was unconstitutional.

June 22, 1993
Michigan Court of Appeals voted 21 to stay Judge Cynthia Stephens' ruling, thus reinstating the ban on assisted suicide.

July 30, 1993
The Michigan Commission on Death and Dying held its first meeting. The Commission was established under PA 270 along with the assisted suicide ban to ensure that physicians were properly trained and equipped to adequately treat patient's pain as well as address other concerns of dying patients.

August 4, 1993
Kevorkian assisted in the suicide of Thomas Hyde, 30, of Novi. He had Lou Gerhig's disease. The death occurred on Belle Isle, in Kevorkian's van, by means of carbon monoxide poisoning.

August 17, 1993
Kevorkian was charged with the assisting of the suicide of Thomas Hyde. He was released on $100,000 bond, and scheduled for a preliminary hearing on August 27, 1993.

August 27, 1993
Judge Lipscomb delayed ruling on Kevorkian's arraignment, in the Hyde case by one week. Date set for September 9, 1993.

September 9, 1993
Judge Lipscomb ordered Kevorkian to stand trial for assisting in the suicide of Thomas Hyde. Kevorkian remained free on bond. Hours after Kevorkian was bound over for trial he assisted in another suicide. Donald O'Keefe, 73, of Redford Twp., a bone cancer patient in the early stages of the disease. He died by inhaling carbon monoxide.

September 21, 1993
Judge Karen Khalil heard motions from Kevorkian's attorney, regarding the ban's constitutionality, which she took under advisement. Additional arguments were scheduled for September 28.

September 28, 1993
Additional arguments were heard, no decision rendered.

September 30, 1993
The Canadian Supreme Court rules by a 5-4 decision that there is not a right to assisted suicide protected by the Canadian constitution. The case was brought by Sue Rodriguez, 43, of British Columbia, Canada, who had Lou Gehrig's disease and was requesting legal immunity for her physician and others who might assist in her intentional death.

October 11, 1993
Judge Khalil orders Kevorkian to stand trial on a charge of assisted suicide. Kevorkian was freed on bond.

October 22, 1993
Kevorkian assisted in the death of Merian Fredricks, 72, of Ann Arbor, MI. The suicide took place in Kevorkian's apartment. Ms. Fredricks had Lou Gehrig's Disease and died by inhaling carbon monoxide.

October 24, 1993
Robert Latimer, Saskatchewan, Canada, called the police to say that his 12 year old daughter had passed away in her sleep. She had cerebral palsy. The coroner's autopsy revealed a high level of carbon monoxide in her blood.

October 26, 1993
Kevorkian's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, offered Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Richard Kaufman, a plea bargain. Kevorkian will plead no contest to two counts of assisted suicide if: 1) The Hyde and O'Keefe cases are heard by Judge Kaufman, 2) the judge makes a ruling as to the constitutionality of the assisted suicide law, and 3) if the law is found unconstitutional, the pleas will be moot, if not, they can withdraw the pleas. Judge Kaufman delayed ruling so he could have time to review the proposal.

November 4, 1993
Mr. Robert Latimer of Canada was arrested for the murder of his daughter.

November 5, 1993
Recorder's court Judge Thomas Jackson raises Kevorkian's bond to $20,000. Refusing to post bail, Kevorkian is jailed and begins a "hunger strike."

November 8, 1993
Sterling Heights attorney John DeMoss posted 10 % of the $20,000 bail on Kevorkian's behalf. Kevorkian was then released.

November 16, 1993
With both the prosecutor's office and Judge Kaufman rejecting the plea bargain offer of October 26, Kaufman heard arguments regarding the constitutionality of the statute banning assisted suicide.

November 22, 1993
Kevorkian assisted in the death of Dr. Ali Khalili, 61, of Oak Brook, Illinois. Dr. Khalili was diagnosed with bone cancer and died by carbon monoxide poisoning in Kevorkian's apartment in Royal Oak.

Also on that day, the upper house of the Dutch Parliament followed the lower house in approving the bill allowing physicians to perform euthanasia if they follow the "carefulness requirements." Penal codes prohibiting euthanasia and assisted suicide remain in force. Only the coroner's law regarding investigations into deaths was amended.

November 30, 1993
Kevorkian surrendered to Royal Oak police at 8:40 am, after being charged with the October suicide of Merian Fredricks. Later in the day he was arraigned with bond set at $50,000 to be paid in full. Kevorkian refused to pay the bond and was taken to jail.

December 1, 1993
Kevorkian follows through with his threat to go on a hunger strike, by refusing all food. He would only accept water, juice and vitamins.

December 13, 1993
Judge Richard Kaufman rules that there is a constitutional right to "rational" suicide, therefore the Michigan ban on assisted suicide is unconstitutional.

December 14, 1993
The Oregon Right to Die organization files their "citizen initiated Death with Dignity Act" (DWDA) to be placed on the November 1994 ballot in Oregon.

December 17, 1993
Kevorkian is released from jail after Oakland County Judge Jessica Cooper reduced his bond to $100, which his supporters posted. He was placed under house arrest. He vowed to work within the system and not assist in any more suicides. Kevorkian announced plans to spearhead a petition drive to get the issue on the November 1994 ballot.

January 3, 1994
Oakland County Prosecutor Richard Thompson charges Kevorkian with assisting in the death of Dr. Khalili.

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