Nicole Brown graduated from high school on May 20, 1977, a day after turning 18.

Three weeks later, she met O.J. Simpson.

At 29, the NFL star—who has died at the age of 76 after battling cancer—was nearing the end of his storied professional football career and had been acting on the side for a decade in TV and movies such as the disaster epic The Towering Inferno. Nurturing the Hollywood side of his aspirations, he had just bought a house at 360 North Rockingham Avenue in Brentwood. He had also been married to his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, for 10 years. They had three kids, Arnelle, Jason and newborn daughter Aaren.