Christopher Darden
As a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, he stood at the white-hot center of a national conversation about race, justice, and celebrity.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American lawyer·Birthday: April 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Christopher Darden was a seasoned Los Angeles prosecutor who found himself thrust into an unprecedented media hurricane. Assigned to the O.J. Simpson murder trial, Darden's role evolved into one of the case's most complex and scrutinized figures. He represented the state, but as a Black man prosecuting a Black sports hero, he faced intense personal and public pressure. His courtroom style was direct and often emotional, most famously during the fraught moment he asked Simpson to try on the bloody glove. The trial's 'not guilty' verdict was a profound professional defeat. In the decades since, Darden has shaped a second act as a author, lecturer, and legal commentator, continually analyzing the trial's legacy. His experience provides a unique, insider's lens on how a single case can fracture a city and redefine the American legal system in the public imagination.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Christopher was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christopher Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Christopher's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a co-prosecutor in the historic murder trial of O.J. Simpson, one of the most publicized trials of the 20th century.
- Authored several books, including 'In Contempt,' a best-selling account of his experiences during the Simpson trial.
- Became a professor of law at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, teaching criminal law and trial advocacy.
- Worked for 15 years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, trying numerous high-profile cases.
Did You Know?
He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Darden initially resisted being assigned to the O.J. Simpson prosecution team.
He played college football at San Jose State University before focusing on law.
After the trial, he briefly had a career as a legal analyst for CBS News.
“This trial was about the evidence. It was never about race until the defense made it about race.”
