James Comey
The FBI director whose public firing by President Trump ignited a political firestorm and a national debate about the rule of law.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American lawyer·Birthday: December 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
James Comey’s career has been defined by a collision of law, politics, and high-stakes principle. A federal prosecutor who cut his teeth taking down mobsters and corporate fraud, he served as Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush, where he famously raced to a hospital bedside to defy an order he believed was illegal. His appointment as FBI Director in 2013 was seen as a steadying choice. However, his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation and his subsequent revelations about pressure from the Trump White House placed him at the epicenter of American political turmoil. His 2017 firing and subsequent testimony turned him into a polarizing figure, a reluctant memoirist, and a professor lecturing on ethical leadership.
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.
James was born in 1960, 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 James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2013 to 2017.
- As Deputy Attorney General in 2004, he refused to reauthorize a secret surveillance program, threatening to resign in a dramatic hospital confrontation.
- Led the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while Secretary of State.
- Authored the bestselling memoir 'A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership' detailing his experiences.
- Was a key witness in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
Did You Know?
He is 6 feet 8 inches tall, a fact often noted in media profiles.
Before law, he considered becoming a minister and majored in chemistry and religion.
He worked as a grocery store stock clerk and a ranger at a national park in his youth.
He is a lifelong fan of the New York Giants football team.
““I don't care about politics. I don't care about expediency. I don't care about friendship. I care about doing the right thing.””
