Oprah Winfrey, was born in the rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore, where she hosted a hit TV chat show, “People Are Talking”, after which she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show. Her success led to nationwide fame and a role in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 file The Color Purple, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a nationally syndicated program.
Winfrey became the richest African-American in the history. Winfrey is the host of the longest-running daytime talk show in history; the founder of two magazines; the CEO of Harpo Productions, and owner of The Oprah Winfrey Network & philanthropist.
- Fact 1 – Accomplishments and reasons Oprah Winfrey is famous: A highly successful and influential TV presenter, author, actress and America’s top 50 most generous philanthropists
- Fact 2 – Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi
- Fact 3 – The name of the parents of Oprah Winfrey were Vernon Winfrey, a coal miner and Vernita Lee, a housemaid
- Fact 4 – Oprah was raised on a farm by her grandmother, Grandma Hattie Mae
- Fact 5 – She then lived in a city ghetto in Mississippi with family members. She suffered from abuse and was raped by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend
- Fact 6 – She had a troubled time, ran wild and had a son who died soon after birth
- Fact 7 – She then picked herself up and won a scholarship to Tennessee State University
- Fact 8 – Whilst at university she worked at the WVOL local radio station
- Fact 9 – Her looks won her the Miss Black Tennessee and Miss Fire Prevention titles
- Fact 10 – Oprah Winfrey gained a degree in Speech and Performing Arts and got a job as the first black TV news anchor reporter with WTVF-TV in 1970
- Fact 11 – Oprah Winfrey then WJZ-TV morning talk show host of People are Talking with Richard Sher
- Fact 12 – The Oprah Winfrey Show began and her fame grew
- Fact 13 – She starred as Sofia ‘The Color Purple’
- Fact 14 – Oprah Winfrey won the the National Organization for Women’s Women of Achievement Award
- Fact 15 – Oprah Winfrey then became engaged to Stedman Graham, a public relations executive
- Fact 16 – She won various Emmy awards and became an author
- Fact 17 – Forbes’ international rich list has listed Winfrey as the world’s only black billionaire
- Fact 18 – She was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th century
- Fact 19 – She was voted in 9th place in the list of greatest Americans
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