O.J. Simpson, a football legend and actor whose 1994 trial for the murder of his ex-wife captivated the country, has died at 76 after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed.

Simpson's family posted on social media Thursday that he had "succumbed to his battle with cancer.” Nicknamed “the Juice,” Simpson is considered one of the greatest college and pro football running backs in history.  

Simpson won the 1968 Heisman Trophy award while at USC. In an 11-year NFL career, he played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979. He won the NFL MVP Award in 1973 for Buffalo, when he became the first runner to break the 2,000-yard rushing mark. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

As an actor, he starred in such films as The Towering Inferno and The Naked Gun franchise, as well as in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots and HBO’s football-themed series 1st & Ten. He also endorsed many products, famously appearing in advertisements for the Hertz rental car company.

Simpson would also serve as a broadcaster for ABC's Monday Night Football and as a pro football analyst for NBC Sports.  

His accomplishments, however, were overshadowed when he was charged in 1994 for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Five days after the murders, millions watched as Simpson led police on a televised chase through Los Angeles in a white Ford Bronco before he surrendered to police.  

His televised trial, in which he would be acquitted of all charges, captivated and polarized the nation and became known as the “trial of the century.” Simpson’s life would eventually become the subject of a 2016 Oscar-winning ESPN documentary, O.J.: Made In America, and an Emmy-winning FX limited series that same year, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

In 2007, Simpson would be arrested for kidnapping and armed robbery in an attempt to recover what he claimed to be stolen sports memorabilia. He served nearly nine years in prison before being released on parole in 2017. 

Most people over 35 years of age remembers where they were the day the O.J. Simpson verdict was handed down. Nielsen today confirmed that more than 5 million viewers tuned into FX last night to see the beginning of the spectacle that became one of the most viewed and controversial trial in U.S. history during the network's premiere of the network’s People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

FX will most likely wait until the Nielsen Live+3 numbers are in to talk about the show’s premiere ratings performance, but executives have to be encouraged over initial viewer interest in the now 20-year old murder case.

Due the interest in the behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the infamous O.J. case including the actions of the lawyers, prosecutors and judges involved – not to mention the Kardashian factor – the show has a chance to continue to build viewers through the course of its 10-episode run.

But there would not be as much buzz and social media discussion of the series – last night’s episode was the most social on all of Tv yesterday, drawing 111,000 tweets according to Nielsen – if the show wasn't good drama, actor Courtney B. Vance – who plays O.J. lawyer Johnnie Cochran in the series – recently told Multichannel News.

The performances from John Travolta’s portrayal of lead Simpson attorney Robert Shapiro to Cuba Gooding’s depiction of Simpson himself – along with FX’s unique and dramatic storytelling style – will have audiences remembering to be in front of the boob tube during the series’ final episodes.