1. Historical facts about asbestos and mesothelioma

• Asbestos has been used since ancient times. Greeks and Romans wove the fibers into tablecloths, napkins, and clothes, and threw them into fires to clean them. They also noted the slaves forced to deal with this material lived shorter lives and usually died of breathing or respiratory problems.

• Asbestos was used extensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as modern industry drove the economies of Western Europe and the United States.

• During the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of military personnel were exposed to asbestos on a large scale. Many of these servicepeople are now beginning to demonstrate symptoms of asbestos-related diseases.

• Many asbestos companies knew the dangers of their products, but chose to ignore or downplay the role asbestos played in many illnesses.

• The first reported death caused by asbestos exposure was documented in medical journals in 1924.