Short answers, pulled from the story.
Jack Ashley addressed the Parliament of the United Kingdom with a speech introducing the modern term domestic violence in 1973. Before this moment, the phrase referred only to civil unrest or internal political conflict rather than abuse between family members.
The Mississippi Supreme Court established a positive right to wife-beating in State v. Bradley in 1824. This ruling cited the rule of thumb precedent that would hold sway for decades before courts in Massachusetts and Alabama reversed it in 1871.
The World Health Organization defines domestic violence as all acts of physical, sexual, psychological, or economic violence committed by a family member or intimate partner. This broad definition now covers relationships between spouses, cohabiting partners, former spouses, and even same-sex couples.
Marital rape remains legal in many countries despite being recognized as a prosecutable offense in at least 104 nations according to a 2006 UN study. Iraq is one example where marital rape remains legal while other nations criminalize abortion or same-sex activity.
The Istanbul Convention became the first legally binding instrument in Europe dealing with domestic violence and came into force in August 2014. This convention requires states to create laws against acts previously condoned by tradition or culture in the name of honor.