When and how did it all begin? Here are the stories of how these couples came to be.

The Benbows

How they met: Ralph went to work in a laboratory in Washington D.C. where Mary was a secretary.

Her first impression:On the day they met, she became ill and went home. “There wasn’t much time for first impressions.”

His first impression: See above.

Their first date: They began dating a few months after they met.

Married: 1968.

The Doederleins

How they met: They met during their high school years in Toledo, Ohio. He was the chairman of Toledo Teens Against Polio; she was a member. They got to know each other when they worked together on the yearbook staff.

Her first impression: He was “very funny and very tall.”

His first impression: “She was dramatically different from other 16-year-olds I knew. She was attractive and appealing, but there also was all this mind and assertiveness. She’s always been ahead of her time. Me too, I suppose.”

Their first date: He took her to a high school football championship game.

Married: 1962.

The Dillmans

How they met: Joanne was working part time as a secretary for one of Daniel’s professors.

Her first impression: “I guess I liked him. He was quiet, easy to talk to.”

His first impression: “Someone I wanted to get to know well. A nice person, very outgoing, a very pleasant person to be with.”

Married: 1961.