David Brooks (commentator)
A political and cultural commentator who explores the intersection of morality, character, and the American social fabric.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American journalist, commentator, editor·Birthday: August 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Brooks has carved out a unique space in American journalism, operating less as a partisan combatant and more as a sociologist of the national soul. Starting as a police reporter and foreign correspondent, he developed an eye for the granular details of human behavior. His move to opinion writing for *The New York Times* and commentary for PBS NewsHour allowed him to zoom out, examining the deeper currents of culture, ethics, and community. Brooks writes from a self-described conservative perspective, but one deeply concerned with social cohesion and moral formation. His books, like 'The Social Animal,' delve into neuroscience and psychology to understand how people truly live and connect. In an era of shouting, he aims for reflection, arguing that the nation's problems are often rooted in a crisis of character and relationship, not just policy.
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.
David was born in 1961, 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 David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
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
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
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
1977Could drive
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
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the bestselling book 'The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.'
- Has been a regular op-ed columnist for The New York Times since 2003.
- Is a frequent analyst and commentator on the PBS NewsHour.
- Founded the Weave: The Social Fabric Project, an initiative at the Aspen Institute focused on rebuilding social trust and community.
Did You Know?
He was born in Toronto, Canada, and moved to the United States as a young child.
He once worked as a police reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago.
He is a professed fan of the indie rock band The Shins.
He taught a popular course on humility at Yale University.
““The person who is well loved has a more accurate view of the world than the person who is not.””
