Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow, the infamous couple later known simply as Bonnie and Clyde, met for the first time on January 5, 1930. At the time, Bonnie was nineteen years old, and Clyde was twenty. The chance encounter took place, by most credible accounts, at 105 Herbert Street in Dallas, Texas.

The home belonged to Clarence Clay, a friend of Clyde’s, who at the time was allowing a female friend to stay at the house while she recovered from a broken arm. Bonnie was out of work at the time, and considering she was also a friend of the injured woman, she opted to join her during her stay and assist with her recovery. During this period, Clyde decided to stop by the house and pay Clarence a visit.

Upon entering, he saw Bonnie in the kitchen making hot chocolate. The two were immediately taken with each other and are believed to have experienced a “love at first sight” moment. They began a relationship shortly afterwards and fell deeply in love, leading to Bonnie joining Clyde’s gang, the Barrow Gang. Notably, most historians believe she joined out of love for Clyde and a desire to stay with him rather than out of an unbridled desire to commit crime.

The Barrow Gang traversed the Central United States throughout the early 1930s and was known for its series of robberies and murders. They became particularly infamous for their larger-scale bank robberies, although they actually preferred smaller exploits such as pilfering small stores and funeral homes. Active primarily between 1932 and 1934, the gang is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of at least thirteen people: nine police officers and four civilians.

Bonnie and Clyde remained unshakably loyal to one another, choosing to continue living as outlaws and committing crimes together until they met, what they considered to be, their inevitable and violent end.