Early Life
Winfrey grew up in Mississippi, Milwaukee and Nashville, and began working in radio and television while still in school.
Career
After hosting a local Chicago morning show, she launched The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, which ran for 25 years as the highest-rated daytime talk show in U.S. history. She acted in The Color Purple (1985), earning an Oscar nomination, founded Harpo Productions, and launched the cable network OWN in 2011.
Legacy
Winfrey received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2018. She also funded education initiatives, including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which opened in 2007.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24