Oprah's mother named her daughter after a character in the Bible called "Orpah" from the Book of Ruth. However, her name was misspelled as "Oprah" on her birth certificate, and has remained Oprah ever since.
Profession: Talk Show Host, Actress
Born: January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi
Best known for: Presented on The Oprah Winfrey Show
Where was Oprah Winfrey born?
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her mother is Vernita Lee; Her father was a US Army officer named Vernon Winfrey. Oprah's mother named her daughter after a character in the Bible called "Orpah" from the Book of Ruth. However, her name was misspelled as "Oprah" on her birth certificate, and has remained Oprah ever since.
A Tough Life Growing Up
When Oprah was young, her mother moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to find a job. Oprah remained in Mississippi and lived with her grandmother, Hattie Mae. It was interesting living with Hattie Mae. Young Oprah lived on a ranch with no running water. She had a lot of hard work every day, including getting water from the well and carrying it home. She also learned to read and write by the age of three, mostly by studying the Bible.
Oprah Gail Winfrey (January 29, 1954) is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world's only black billionaire. By 2007, she was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world.
When Oprah was six years old, she moved to Wisconsin to live with her mother. She was very active growing up. Sometimes she lived with her mother in Wisconsin, sometimes with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Oprah's mother was very poor and life in Wisconsin was tough. However, Oprah was a bright student, loved to read, and did well in school. She graduated from East Nashville High School with honors in 1971.
A Young Speaker
When Oprah was a little boy growing up with her grandmother, she was a gifted speaker. She spoke often at church, in women's groups, and at school. She won a speaking competition in high school and was accepted into college with a full scholarship. She went to Tennessee State University on a scholarship to study.
Radio Era
In 1971 Oprah was encouraged by a local radio DJ to enter the "Miss Teen Fire Prevention" contest. She took first place in this competition. In an interview, Oprah said that her goal is to become a journalist. After the competition, she received a job offer as a newscaster on local radio. She loved the job and realized at that time that her future would be in radio and TV.
A Nashville News Presenter
While attending college, Oprah got a call from the CBS news station in Nashville. They wanted her to be the newscaster. She couldn't believe it. She thought at first that she should turn down work and concentrate on school, but then she realized what a great opportunity it was. She took the job and became the first female African-American newscaster in Nashville's history. She was only nineteen at the time.
Becoming a TV Talk Show Host
In 1976, Oprah got a job at a TV station in Baltimore, Maryland. She initially worked as a newscaster, but things didn't go so well. She started a TV show called "People Are Talking". On the first day of the job, Oprah realized she had found what she was looking for, and it was like "breathing" for her. In a short time, her show became very popular. She was later hired to host a morning TV show in Chicago called A.M. When she arrived in Chicago, she ranked last in the rating rating. Her first show was the popular Phil Donahue Show. However, in just a few months, A.M. took first place in the ratings in Chicago. A few years later, in 1986, the show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and was shown nationwide.
The Gates of Fame Is Opening
With the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah has become one of the most famous people in the country. More than 10 million people watched her show every day. Oprah also made a lot of money. Her show made $125 million in the first year, and Oprah's revenue was $30 million.
Acting
While Oprah's talk show was a huge success, she also wanted to act in movies. She got her first major role in 1985 in The Color Purple. It turns out that Oprah has a real talent for acting. She did such a great job that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Over the years, Oprah has appeared in films such as The Women of Brewster Place (1989), Beloved (1998), The Princess and the Frog (2009) and The Butler (2013).
Other activities
Besides her national talk show and acting, Oprah is famous for other activities. She founded the cable TV media company Oxygen Media and published a magazine called O: The Oprah Magazine. She even started her own TV network called Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in 2009. Oprah also founded a charity called Angel Network.
Interesting Facts About Oprah Winfrey
Oprah was named Miss Black Tennessee in 1972.
She started her own production company called Harpo Productions. The name "Harpo" came about by spelling Oprah's name backward.
Oprah is also famous for her weight loss and weight gain. She lost weight a few times and then regained it.
As of 2013, her estimated net worth was $2.8 billion.
The Oprah Winfrey Show aired for 25 years. Its last episode was held on May 24, 2011.
She was named the most influential woman of her generation by Life magazine.