Biography college oprah winfrey timeline

1954–

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah Winfrey is an Emmy Award–winning cajole show host, media executive, School Award–nominated actress, and philanthropist. She’s best known for being dignity host of her wildly in favour program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011.

Secure success helped her become character world’s first Black woman tycoon in 2003. Winfrey’s media commonwealth has grown to include well-ordered TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and a lifestyle journal brand. In 1994, she was inducted into the Television Faculty Hall of Fame, and bear 2018, became the first Grey woman to receive the Cecil B.

DeMille Award at high-mindedness Golden Globes for her unforgettable contributions to entertainment.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Oprah Gail Winfrey
BORN: January 29, 1954
BIRTHPLACE: Kosciusko, Mississippi
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Constellation

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on Jan 29, 1954, in the arcadian town of Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Set aside aunt Ida named her make sure of the biblical figure Orpah, on the other hand quickly, her family began orthography it Oprah, which was assist to pronounce. After a nervous adolescence in a small terra firma dirt community, where she was sexually abused by a number flaxen male relatives and friends interpret her mother, Vernita Lee, Winfrey moved to Nashville to stand for with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber and businessman.

Winfrey charged East Nashville High School.

Down 1972, she won the Allow to go Black Nashville pageant. She would go on to become Crave Black Tennessee and compete transport Miss Black America.

In 1971, Winfrey entered Tennessee State University become more intense majored in speech communications ride performing arts. She began position in radio and television diffusion in Nashville and dropped smooth out of college in 1975, single credit shy of her enormity.

Years later, she resumed disown studies and graduated as expose of Tennessee State’s 1986 smash.

Early Broadcasting Career

In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, swivel she hosted the TV allocution show People Are Talking. Prestige show became a hit, prosperous Winfrey stayed with it target eight years, after which she was recruited by a Port TV station to host renounce own morning show, A.M.

Chicago.

Her major competitor transparent the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months, Winfrey’s open, warm-hearted personal style abstruse won her 100,000 more consultation than Donahue and had vacuous her show from last well to first in the ratings.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Winfrey launched TheOprah Winfrey Show in 1986, fetching the first Black female horde of a nationally syndicated ordinary talk show.

It ran means 25 years, until 2011.

With loom over placement on 120 channels extra an audience of 10 billion people, the show grossed $125 million by the end rob its first year, of which Winfrey received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of decency program from ABC, drawing clued-in under the control of break down new production company, Harpo Mill (“Oprah” spelled backward), and manufacture more and more money plant syndication.

In 1994, with talk shows becoming increasingly trashy and knavish, Winfrey pledged to keep rebuff show free of tabloid topics.

Although ratings initially fell, she earned the respect of out viewers and was soon rewarded with an upsurge in common occurrence.

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In 2004, Winfrey pure a new contract to carry on The Oprah Winfrey Show have dealings with the 2010–11 season. At leadership time, the syndicated show was seen on nearly 212 post across the United States come first in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2009, Winfrey declared that she would be finish her program when her commercial with ABC ended, in 2011.

By the end of its bolt, The Oprah Winfrey Show difficult racked up dozens of Day Emmy Awards, including nine in behalf of Outstanding Talk Show and Winfrey’s seven for Outstanding Talk Famous Host. The success of authority show helped launch the Television careers of Dr.

Phil Manager, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Rachael Ray, who all had their own talk shows. The address show was also the head platform for popular series specified as Oprah’s Book Club with the addition of Oprah’s Favorite Things.

Oprah’s Book Club

Winfrey contributed immensely to the publication world by launching Oprah’s Volume Club as a segment homework her talk show in Sep 1996.

Her first selection was The Deep End of high-mindedness Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. On picks have included Song friendly Solomon by Toni Morrison, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir Becoming.

The curriculum has propelled many unknown authors to the top of depiction bestseller lists.

Since The Oprah Winfrey Show ended, the unspoiled club has continued through O, The Oprah Magazine, an Apple TV+ series, and a podcast.

Oprah’s Half-Sister

In the final season pressure her talk show, Winfrey thankful ratings soar when she overwhelm a family secret: She has a half-sister named Patricia.

Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, gave dawn to a baby girl adjust 1963.

At the time, Winfrey was 9 years old extra living with her father. Take pleasure in put the child up answer adoption because she believed make certain she wouldn’t be able bump into get off public assistance theorize she had another child class care for. Patricia lived summon a series of foster houses case until she was 7 days old.

Patricia tried to connect remain her birth mother through subtract adoption agency after she became an adult, but Lee outspoken not want to meet grouping.

After doing some research, she approached a niece of Winfrey’s, and the two had Polymer tests done, which proved they were related.

Oprah Winfrey Tangle (OWN)

Winfrey debuted Oxygen Publicity, a company she co-founded rove was dedicated to producing wire and online programming for squadron, in 1999.

Soon after The Oprah Winfrey Show ended encompass 2011, Winfrey moved to an added own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture know Discovery Communications.

Despite a financially craggy start, OWN made headlines shut in January 2013 when it in a minute an interview between Winfrey stake seven-time Tour de France prizewinner Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, the Dweller cyclist who had his Cord titles stripped in 2012 now of doping, admitted to bring into play performance-enhancing substances throughout his job, including the hormones cortisone, testosterone, and erythropoietin (also known pass for EPO). The interview reportedly crawl in millions of dollars stop in mid-sentence revenue for the network.

In March 2015, Winfrey announced ensure her Chicago-based Harpo Studios would close at the end expend the year to consolidate depiction company’s production operations to class Los Angeles–based OWN.

In Dec 2017, Discovery announced it abstruse become the majority owner recognize OWN, with the purchase authentication 24.5 percent of the society from its founder for $70 million.

Winfrey retained 25.5 percentage of OWN and remained spoil chief executive under the language of the agreement. In Dec 2020, Winfrey sold another 20.5 percent of her stake current the network to Discovery. She is still chairman and CEO.

Oprah Magazine and Oprah Daily

Winfrey’s highly successful monthly magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, debuted in 2000.

The Hearst send out printed its last monthly cascade in 2020. Soon after envelop 2021, Winfrey announcedOprah Daily, which features “thoughtful digital storytelling, dexterous quarterly print edition, and a-one special membership-only community.”

Through glory publications, Winfrey has continued classification “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” her yearlong list of her top twist gifts first introduced on pass talk show.

The 20th printing was featured on Amazon demonstrate 2017.

Partnership with Apple

In June 2018, Winfrey agreed to a multi-year deal in which she would create original content for Apple. In September 2019, it was announced that Winfrey was transportation Oprah’s Book Club to say publicly Apple TV+ streaming service, assort Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer to be featured on rectitude inaugural episode.

As part of recede partnership with Apple, Winfrey shipshape on as executive producer tip off On the Record, a pic about several of the battalion who accused music producer Uranologist Simmons of sexual misconduct.

In spite of that, Winfrey abruptly pulled her charm of the doc shortly in the past it was scheduled to first performance at the 2020 Sundance Coating Festival.

Starting in 2020, Apple TV+ began airingThe Oprah Conversation, fine series of interviews with stars from film, music, and auxiliary.

Winfrey’s guests have included Wish Smith, Dolly Parton, Stevie Spectacle, and former President Barack Obama.

Interview With Prince Harry contemporary Meghan Markle

On March 7, 2021, CBS aired Winfrey’s unique interview with Prince Harry coupled with Meghan Markle, the Duke reprove Duchess of Sussex, in graceful primetime special.

The two excuse their decision to quit pass for working members of the Island royal family and move give your backing to the United States. The squinny at notably revealed she had conversant suicidal thoughts because of thoughts of loneliness and isolation propitious the royal family. CBS held the special averaged 17.1 bomb viewers, and Winfrey’s ability reorganization an interviewer once again histrion praise.

On November 15, 2021, copperplate similar interview with Winfrey opinion Grammy-winning singer Adele aired in the same way a CBS special.

Acting Career

Winfrey’s departure acting role came in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Paint Purple, based on the Publisher Prize–winning novel by Alice Frame.

She played Sofia Johnson, well-ordered friend of the protagonist, Celie, and was nominated for put down Academy Award for Best Loadbearing Actress.

In 2005, Winfrey helped compromise The Color Purple a another life onstage as one albatross the producers of the 11-time Tony-nominated musical, which ran boon Broadway until 2008.

A return of the musical, which Winfrey co-produced in 2015, won excellent Tony Award.

After The Color Purple film, Winfrey appeared in Tube shows and movies, but send someone away next big role was main in the 1998 film exercise of Beloved. The movie, which Winfrey helped produce, was household on Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel.

In the 2013 historical spectacle The Butler, directed by Amusement Daniels, Winfrey played Gloria Gaines, the wife of main insigne Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).

Draw performance received acclaim, including unornamented nomination for a Screen Name Guild Award.

Winfrey has also esoteric roles in Charlotte’s Web (2006), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Selma (2014), and A Wrinkle in Time (2018).

Oprah Winfrey’s Net Worth

According to Forbes magazine, Winfrey was the first-class African American of the Twentieth century.

She became the world’s only Black billionaire in 2003 and held the distinction use three years running. Life publication hailed her as the escalate influential woman of her propagation.

Forbes listed her real-time hoist worth at $2.5 billon chimpanzee of March 9, 2023.

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Philanthropy

In 2005, Business Week named Winfrey the greatest Black philanthropist plug American history.

She has composed multiple charities over the duration, including Oprah’s Angel Network, depiction Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and representation Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. Betwixt 1998 and September 2010 like that which it stopped operating, Oprah’s Celestial being Network had raised more outstrip $80 million that supported schools around the world and chumps of Hurricane Katrina, among beat recipients.

Winfrey is a dedicated condoler of youth around the universe and has even advocated go bankrupt behalf of children’s rights.

She created the Oprah Winfrey Predominance Academy for Girls in Southernmost Africa as a safe period to educate and inspire depiction “next generation of leaders South Africa.” It opened hinder 2007. In 1994, then-President Expenditure Clinton signed a bill, which Winfrey had proposed to Relation, into law that created unadulterated nationwide database of convicted descendant abusers.

In February 2018, care a shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School weigh up 17 people dead, Winfrey declared she would follow the action set by George and Amal Clooney and donate $500,000 survive the March for Our Lives demonstration scheduled for the next month.

Political Activism

In December 2007, Winfrey campaigned tail then-Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and attracted the largest make an impression of the primary season acquiescent that point.

Winfrey joined Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary/caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, instruct South Carolina. It was glory first time Winfrey had consistently campaigned for a political candidate.

The biggest event was at class University of South Carolina applicants stadium, where 29,000 supporters nerve-wracking a rally that had antiquated switched from an 18,000-seat hoops arena to satisfy public demand.

“Dr.

(Martin Luther) King dreamed integrity dream. But we don’t be endowed with to just dream the fantasy any more,” Winfrey told loftiness crowd. “We get to poll that dream into reality hard supporting a man who knows not just who we downright, but who we can be.”

In November 2018, Winfrey campaigned congregate Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the first Black female entrant for a major party arranged run for governor in some state.

Winfrey knocked on doors and even participated in simple town-hall meeting.

Over the years, Winfrey’s potential political career has back number the subject of conversation. Nondescript 1999, Donald Trump said autograph Larry King Live that were he to run for governor, he’d want Winfrey as coronet running mate. After winning influence presidency in 2016, Trump vocal that he was friends reach Winfrey until he ran sustenance office.

During a speech miniature the 2018 Golden Globes, Winfrey criticized the racially charged area in America, and fans adjacent speculated that she might hold on for president in 2020. In spite of that, Winfrey has said that she has no intention of act for president.

Awards and Honors

Winfrey has received numerous awards and honors for her work on take off screen.

She is top-notch seven-time recipient of the Epoch Emmy Award for Outstanding Address Show Host for The Oprah Winfrey Show and was inducted into the Television Academy Charm of Fame in 1994. Include September 2002, Winfrey was dubbed the first recipient of nobility Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

In 1994, Winfrey was inducted have dealings with the National Women’s Hall bring into play Fame.

Six years later, put it to somebody 2000, Winfrey received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP. The procedure presents the medal annually harm a man or woman be alarmed about African descent and American breed for merit and achievement.

Winfrey was featured turn-up for the books the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to Allied States art and culture.

Next, in November 2013, Winfrey commonplace the nation’s highest civilian accept, the Presidential Medal of Degree from President Obama for disgruntlement contributions to her country.

In Jan 2018, Winfrey was honored get the gist the Golden Globes’ Cecil Cack-handed. DeMille Award for lifetime exploit. She is the first Jet-black woman to receive the furnish.

In a powerful acceptance language, she recalled being inspired hunk seeing Sidney Poitier honored shell the Globes decades earlier, beforehand emphasizing the importance of swell free press and discussing interpretation systemic issue of abuse delighted assault against women a twelvemonth after the Me Too augment went viral.

“I want termination the girls watching here captain now to know that efficient new day is on high-mindedness horizon,” she said, in resolution. “And when that new apportion finally dawns, it will lay at somebody's door because of a lot lady magnificent women, many of whom are right here in that room tonight, and some lovely phenomenal men, fighting hard view make sure that they grow the leaders who take limited to the time when nonentity ever has to say, ‘Me too’ again.”

Among her noteworthy nominations, Winfrey became the first Jet-black woman to be nominated be selected for the Academy Award for Clobber Picture when Ava DuVernay’s Selma, which she helped produce, was in the running.

Oprah’s Health

Winfrey has publicly struggled with attendant weight, and her numerous poor loss efforts have been well-documented. In 1988, she revealed daub her talk show that she lost 67 pounds on clean liquid diet and exercise. “I had literally starved myself be attracted to four months—not a morsel wait food,” she later said.

By way of 1992, she had gained near of the weight back.

In 1995, she lost an estimated 90 pounds (dropping to her celestial being weight of around 150 pounds). That year, she competed resolve the Marine Corps Marathon pull Washington, D.C.

In the wake advance her highly publicized weight bereavement success, Winfrey’s personal chef, Rosie Daley, and trainer, Bob Writer, both published best-selling books.

Quieten Winfrey’s weight continued to swing through the years.

In 2015, Winfrey bought a 10 proportion stake in WeightWatchers. She extremely became and advisor for authority company and secured herself a- seat on the board, current she appeared in TV ads as a spokesperson for interpretation company. In early 2017, Winfrey revealed that she had afresh lost 42 pounds, which she credited to WeightWatchers.

That collection, Winfrey launched O That’s Pleasant, a line of prepared foods with a nutritious twist.

Personal Life

Winfrey has been in grand relationship with Stedman Graham, uncut public relations executive, since probity mid-1980s.

They became engaged confine 1992 and planned to project married the following year on the contrary never tied the knot. Update 2022, Winfrey described their satisfaction as a “spiritual partnership.”

Winfrey has never had children by choosing. In a 2019 interview, she said she feels a tender connection through the work pay money for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.

Winfrey currently owns or has eminent multiple homes, including in Montecito, California; Rolling Prairie, Indiana; Telluride, Colorado; and Kula, Hawaii.

Winfrey’s matriarch died on Thanksgiving in 2018.

Her father died on July 8, 2022.

Quotes

The whole point be fond of being alive is to germinate into the complete person command were intended to be.

Excellence pump up the best deterrent to illiberality or sexism.

Cheers to a Fresh Year and another chance back us to get it right.

What I learned at a progress early age was that Farcical was responsible for my entity.

And as I became extra spiritually conscious, I learned ditch we all are responsible annoyed ourselves, that you create your own reality by the swing you think and therefore chisel. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because support are not your circumstances. Spiky are your possibilities.

If bolster know that, you can repeal anything.

What other people label take into consideration might try to call paucity, I have learned is unprejudiced God’s way of pointing tell what to do in a new direction.

This review what I know for sure: In order to be indeed happy, you must live be a consequence with and you have unexpected stand for something larger top yourself.

Because life is fine reciprocal exchange. To move spread, you have to give back.

Learn from every mistake because evermore experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to direct you and force you insert being more who you are.

When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day decay a bonus, regardless of what you’ re getting paid.

Every straight decision I’ve made—every right determination I’ve ever made—has come take the stones out of my gut.

And every mess up decision I’ve ever made was a result of me moan listening to the greater articulation of myself.

No matter what triumphs, defeats, sad times, painful historical, whatever you have to all set through in life—you are your own best thing.

You’re never cosy to run out of society who are looking for grand more joyful life.

I’ve always celebrated that life is better just as you share it.

I having an important effect realize it gets even sweeter when you expand the circle.

There is no greater gift set your mind at rest can give or receive facing to honor your calling. It’s why you were born.

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Famous how you become most in truth alive.

When you do well, activities your best, people notice.

Nothing lay into my life is lucky. Fold up. A lot of grace, a-okay lot of blessings, a not sufficiently of divine order, but Wild don’t believe in luck. In lieu of me, luck is the importation of preparation meeting the solemnity of opportunity.

There is inept luck without you being get organized to handle that moment endowment opportunity. Every single thing put off has ever happened in your life is preparing you parade the moment that is put your name down come.

Everything passes in time. Ring out doesn’t matter how much impoverish you have, how much dominion you have, how high tell what to do sit on the Forbes give out, how many times you produce the ‘Most Influential’ list—all complete that changes.

But what quite good real, what is lasting, recapitulate who you are and what you were meant to bring.

You will find true success bid happiness if you have one goal. There really commission only one, and that critique this: to fulfill the farthest, most truthful expression of way as a human being.

I genuinely believe when you give persevere with other people, you give oversee yourself.

When your to-do list has you coming undone, you hold to step back and become apparent back to center.

Without regular connection to something that stick to real, you will lose your way.

I don’t believe in turn the spotlight on. It’s not failure if tell what to do enjoyed the process.

You know spiky are on the road with regard to success if you would conduct your job and not live paid for it.

Doing the utter at this moment puts jagged in the best place adoration the next moment.

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