Today in Television History (October 3rd, 1995): America Tunes in to Watch the OJ Simpson Verdict!
On October 3rd, 1995, America tuned into the news to hear if alleged-murderer, and previous football star, OJ Simpson had been found guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. At 10:07 AM, the verdict was read, after the jury came to the conclusion at 3:00 PM the previous day. After the verdict was read and it was said that he was acquitted, juror number nine, who was identified as 44-year-old Lionel Cryer, gave Simpson a Black Power raised fist salute. An estimated 100 million people worldwide either watched or listened to the verdicts announcement live. It is said that due to the halting of all work during the announcement, there was an estimated $480 million in lost production. Exactly 13 years later, on October 3rd, 2008, OJ Simpson was convicted of armed robbery, and sentenced to 33 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after 9 years for a completely separate crime.
