Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey, known mononymously as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. Born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, she is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011.

Her success in the media industry has earned her the title "Queen of All Media" and made her one of the richest and most influential women in the United States.

Oprah was born to Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. She was raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, on a farm in Mississippi. At age 6, she moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to live with her mother.

In her early teens, she was sent to Nashville to live with her father, who proved to be a positive influence in her life. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and early teenage years and became pregnant at 14; her son was born prematurely and died in infancy.

Oprah Winfrey received a full scholarship to Tennessee State University but left to pursue a career in broadcasting. At age 19, she became a news anchor for the local CBS television station, and in 1976 she was made a reporter and co-anchor for the ABC news affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1984, she moved to Chicago to host the faltering talk show AM Chicago. Her honest and engaging personality quickly turned the program into a success, and in 1985 it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show was syndicated nationally in 1986 and became the highest-rated television talk show in the United States.

In addition to her talk show, She has had a successful acting career. She appeared in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel The Color Purple. Her critically acclaimed performance led to other roles, including a performance in the television miniseries The Women of Brewster Place.