Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion, died on Saturday, according to The Washington Post.

McCorvey died outside Houston, Texas, due to a heart ailment at age 69.

McCorvey adopted the legal pseudonym "Jane Roe" when she became a plaintiff in the legal battle over abortion.

Her views on abortion later changed, however, as she became a devout Christian and an active member of the anti-abortion rights movement.

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An estimated more than 50 million legal abortions have been performed since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.



McCorvey was 22 when the case was argued. She did not wish to see a broad sweeping ruling in favor of legalized abortion, but wanted a legal right to safely terminate her own pregnancy, the Post noted.



On Jan. 22, 1973, 3 years after McCorvey filed the lawsuit, the court ruled 7-to-2 in favor of recognizing a constitutional right to abortion.



McCorvey remained a somewhat secretive public figure following the Roe v. Wade decision.



Many of the details surrounding her personal life and her unwanted pregnancy were shrouded in mystery.



For years, McCorvey insisted that her pregnancy was caused by rape. Later, however, she said she became pregnant “through what I thought was love,” according to the Post.



McCorvey's death was confirmed by journalist Joshua Prager, who was writing a book about the landmark Supreme Court decision.

Updated: 3:45 p.m.