CALIFORNIA, USA — O.J. Simpson, the former football hero and actor who was acquitted in California of murdering his ex-wife and her friend and then years later convicted in Las Vegas for armed robbery, died Wednesday.
His family announced his death Thursday morning in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Simpson died Wednesday after a battle with cancer.
"He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," a post on Simpson's official social media count stated.
Here's a timeline of O.J. Simpson's life.
O.J. Simpson Timeline
1947
Orenthal James Simpson was born July 9, 1947, in San Francisco.
1967
Simpson married his first wife, Marguerite Whitley.
1968
Simpson went on to be a running back for the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1968, college football's top award.
1969
Simpson was selected as the first pick in the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills in 1969. He went on to make a name for himself, becoming the first running back the NFL to rush 2,000 yards or more in a season in 1973.
1979
Simpson retired in 1979 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He also got divorced from his wife Marguerite Whitley, whom he had three children with, one of whom drowned as a toddler in a swimming pool accident. After his football career, he went on to start in commercials and films into the 80s and 90s including "Capricorn One" and "The Naked Gun."
1985
Simpson married Nicole Brown in 1985. They had two children. The couple divorced in 1992.
1994
Nicole Brown Simpson was stabbed to death in her Los Angeles home along with a waiter, Ron Goldman, who worked at a restaurant where she had dinner that same night. Simpson was arrested and accused of the double murder.
1995
Simpson's trial began in 1995. A notable moment from the trial includes Simpson being asked to put on the gloves believed to have been worn by the killer. Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran famously told the jury in his closing argument, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Simpson was acquitted of all criminal charges.
1997
Simpson was found liable for wrongful death in the murder of Brown Simpson and Goldman. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the families of the deceased.
2007
About 12 years after the "trial of the century," a book by Simpson offered his hypothetical account of the killings. originally to be titled “If I Did It," Goldman’s family won control of the manuscript. The book was retitled “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.”
2007 Arrest
Simpson was charged with several felonies including kidnapping and armed robbery after leading five men into a Las Vegas hotel and casino to steal what he claimed was his own sports memorabilia. He was found guilty in 2008 and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison. He was imprisoned at 61 years old at Lovelock Correctional Institute, which is about 90 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada.
2017
Simpson was granted parole and was released from the Lovelock Correctional Institute in Nevada. He was 70-years-old.
2021
F. Lee Bailey, the celebrity attorney who defended O.J. Simpson, died at 87.
2024
Simpson died on April 10, 2024, from cancer, according to a statement from his family.
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