Biography
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
Early life and real name
Orpah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her first name was meant to be Orpah after a biblical figure in the Book of Ruth, but people mispronounced it regularly and the name Oprah stayed.
Her parents were Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, who never married. After her birth, she spent her first six years living in rural poverty with her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, in Mississippi. Her grandmother taught her to read before the age of three and took her to the local church, where she earned the nickname The Preacher for reciting Bible verses.
How Oprah became famous
Oprah Winfrey started her media career as a teenager working at a local radio station in Nashville, WVOL, doing the news part-time. While attending Tennessee State University, she became the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville station WLAC-TV.
In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to co-anchor the evening news at WJZ-TV and later co-hosted the local talk show People Are Talking. In 1984, she relocated to Chicago to host the morning talk show AM Chicago on WLS-TV.
Career highlights
Throughout her decades in media and entertainment, Oprah Winfrey has received numerous major honors and accolades. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2013 and inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.
Her extensive award collection includes multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In 2021, she was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Birthday and age
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, which makes Oprah 72 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Oprah shares the date with 54 other famous people.
Explore more
