Roe v. Wade was a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1973. It established a woman's legal right to have an abortion under the right to privacy, which is implied in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The case was brought by a woman named Norma McCorvey, who used the pseudonym "Jane Roe," challenging the Texas laws that restricted abortion access. The Court ruled that states could not impose excessive restrictions on abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. This decision set a significant legal precedent and sparked ongoing debates about reproductive rights, leading to various state and federal legislative actions over the years.