National Geographic Channel Survey Results Shows 86% of Americans Think OJ Was Guilty

Twenty years ago today, in the early evening of June 17, 1994, after failing to turn himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department on charges of double homicide, former football player O.J. Simpson took to the highway in a white Ford Bronco. In advance of the July 6 premiere of "The '90s: The Last Great Decade?" the National Geographic Channel and Kelton Global today release the first results of their national survey gauging people's attitudes toward the decade, in which 86% said they believe O.J. Simpson was guilty.

Breaking this statistic down further:

• More women than men believe he was guilty (89% vs. 84%)
• More Republicans than Democrats believe he was guilty (89% vs. 82%)
• Fewer African-Americans than those of other ethnicities believe he was guilty (76% vs 88%)

The survey also revealed that close to one in four Americans consider the O.J. Simpson double murder trial to be the number one news event of the '90s, chosen over other such landmark events as the death of Princess Diana, the Oklahoma City bombing, the LA riots and the sex scandals of the Clinton administration.

Additional results from the comprehensive survey will be released in the coming weeks.

The '90s: The Last Great Decade? narrated by Rob Lowe, revisits the 10 years between the Cold War and the war on terror through 120 original interviews with newsmakers, major entertainers and thought leaders. The three-night event premieres Sunday, July 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel. For more information, visit www.RuleThe90s.com or using #natgeo90s on Twitter.

This survey was conducted by Kelton Global between May 30 and June 5, 2014, among 1,019 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and older, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and older.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel