Biography oprah winfrey childhood

1954–

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah Winfrey is an Emmy Award–winning talk show host, media executive, Academy Award–nominated actress, and philanthropist. She’s best known for being the host of her wildly popular program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011. Its success helped her become the world’s first Black woman billionaire in 2003. Winfrey’s media empire has grown to include a TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and a lifestyle magazine brand. In 1994, she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, and in 2018, became the first Black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes for her outstanding contributions to entertainment.

Quick Facts

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

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in the rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her aunt Ida named her after the biblical figure Orpah, but quickly, her family began spelling it Oprah, which was easier to pronounce. After a troubled adolescence in a small farming community, where she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita Lee, Winfrey moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber and businessman.

Winfrey attended East Nashville High School. In 1972, she won the Miss Black Nashville pageant. She would go on to become Miss Black Tennessee and compete for Miss Black America.

In 1971, Winfrey entered Tennessee State University and majored in speech communications and performing arts. She began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville and dropped out of college in 1975, one credit shy of her degree. Years later, she resumed her studies and graduated as part of Tennessee State’s 1986 class.

Early Broadcasting Career

In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she hosted the TV talk

American entertainer (born 1954)

"Oprah" redirects here. Not to be confused with Orpah or Opera.

For the talk show, see The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), also known mononymously as Oprah, 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.

Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a single teenage mother and later raised in inner-city Milwaukee. 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. Winfrey was then sent to live with the man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, Tennessee, and landed a job in radio while still in high school. By 19, she was a co-anchor for the local evening news. Winfrey's often emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led to her transfer to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company.

Credited with creating a more intimate, confessional form of media communication, Winfrey popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue. By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, and spirituality. Though she has

Oprah Winfrey is a beloved American icon and billionaire reportedly worth $2.8 billion as of the end of 2023. She is a multimedia executive, actress, writer, producer, talk show host, and philanthropist whose reach and success extend to nearly all aspects of media. A self-made success story, Winfrey is the recipient of hundreds of awards, from The People's Choice Award for her talk show to the prestigious  National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Award in 2005.

Winfrey founded and is chair and CEO of a multimedia production company, Harpo Productions, and founder of O, The Oprah Magazine. She is also a spokeswoman and partial owner of many brands, including WW. Her generous philanthropic work reaches local, national, and global platforms.

Although Oprah Winfrey ended the iconic Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, her empire continues to thrive and grow. She also continues to do in-depth interviews on primetime television and streaming services, like one-on-one interviews with actress Viola Davis. She also interviewed Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Megan Markle in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on a farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. Her parents, Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, separated shortly after she was born. Her maternal grandmother raised her. As a child, she was precocious and learned to read at a very young age. (According to some reports, she learned

19 Sep How Oprah Winfrey grew up

Posted at 19:47h in Blog by Ben Cook

Oprah Winfrey became a household name in the 1980s and in 2003 became a billionaire. However, few people know the story behind the woman who has become one of the most successful and influential people in the world. Oprah’s childhood was plagued by poverty, abuse, and instability, but she was able to overcome these hardships to become the woman she is today.Oprah Winfrey became a household name in the 1980s and in 2003 became a billionaire. However, few people know the story behind the woman who has become one of the most successful and influential people in the world. Oprah’s childhood was plagued by poverty, abuse, and instability, but she was able to overcome these hardships to become the woman she is today.

Oprah was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi in 1954 to a young single mother, Vernita Lee. Her father, Vernon Winfrey, was not present in her life due to his service in the U.S. Navy. When Oprah was six years old, her mother moved the family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in search of better opportunities. In Milwaukee, Oprah was raised primarily by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, who had a significant influence on her life. She taught Oprah the value of education and the importance of hard work.

Oprah’s father re-entered her life when she was nine years old and they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Vernon was a strict disciplinarian and his attempts to control Oprah often turned to physical punishment. When Oprah was 13, her mother sent her back to Milwaukee, but her mother was still unable to provide a stable home for her. Despite the difficulties that Oprah faced in her childhood, she was able to use them as motivation to pursue her dreams.

Growing up with grandma

Oprah’s mother moved to Milwaukee to work as a maid, having left little Oprah on a farm with her grandmother, Hattie Mae (Presley) Lee. Her grandmother was in