NPR News

O.J. Simpson's History In The Spotlight

NPR

Published December 5, 2008 at 10:49 AM EST

1947: Born July 9 in San Francisco.

1968: Heisman Trophy winner.

1969-77: Professional football player (halfback for Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers).

1974-94: Appears in movies, commercials; sports commentator for ABC and NBC

June 12, 1994: Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman are found dead in Los Angeles.

Oct. 3, 1995: Simpson is acquitted of two counts of murder in Los Angeles.

February 1997: Simpson is found liable for damages in wrongful death lawsuit. Ordered to pay $33.5 million to estates of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.

July 1997: Bank claims Simpson's Brentwood, Calif., mansion in foreclosure sale. Goldman family lawyers seek Simpson assets to satisfy civil judgment.

Feb. 16, 1999: Simpson's Heisman Trophy, other memorabilia auctioned; bidder later sets them on fire.

Oct. 24, 2001: Simpson cleared of all charges in a Florida case involving an alleged road-rage incident.

Nov. 20, 2006: Publisher cancels book If I Did It. Simpson calls ghostwritten book a fictional account of how he might have killed his ex-wife and her friend.

July 30, 2007: Federal bankruptcy judge in Miami awards the rights of Simpson's canceled book to the Goldman family to satisfy wrongful death judgment.

August 2007: Memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley calls collectibles broker Thomas Riccio to arrange sale of Simpson items in Las Vegas.

Aug. 21, 2007: Riccio tells FBI that Simpson plans to confront a collector he believes is peddling stolen Simpson memorabilia.

Sept. 13, 2007: The Goldmans publish Simpson's book as If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. Simpson and five others — Clarence "C.J." Stewart, Walter "Goldie" Alexander, Michael "Spencer" McClinton, Charles Ehrlich and Charles Cashmore — confront memorabilia dealers Beardsley and Bruce Fromong at the Palace Station casino hotel. Beardsley, Fromong report an armed robbery.

Sept. 18, 2007: Simpson, Cashmore, Alexander and McClinton are charged with nine felonies, including kidnapping.

Sept. 19, 2007: Simpson is freed on $125,000 bail, returns home to Miami.

October 2007: Cashmore, Alexander and McClinton take plea deals, agreeing to testify against Simpson.

Nov. 28, 2007: Simpson, Stewart and Ehrlich plead not guilty.

Aug. 4: Ehrlich takes plea deal, agrees to testify against Simpson.

Sept. 8: Jury selection begins for Simpson and Stewart.

Sept. 15: Trial testimony begins.

Oct. 3: Simpson and Stewart found guilty of all charges.

Sources: Biograhical reference sources, AP reporting, Las Vegas police arrest reports, Clark County District Court, Las Vegas Justice Court records