Oprah Winfrey

American television host, actress, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. In high school, she moved to Nashville to live with her father. She entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville. In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she hosted the TV chat show People Are Talking . The show became a hit and Winfrey stayed with it for eight years, after which she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago . Within several months, Winfrey’s open, warm- hearted personal style won her thousands of viewers and took her show from last place to first in the ratings. Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a national program. With its placement on 120 channels and an audience of 10 million people, the show grossed $125 million by the end of its first year. She soon gained ownership of the program from ABC, drawing it under the control of her new production company, Harpo Productions (‘Oprah’ spelled backwards) and making more and more money. Life magazine hailed her as the most influential woman of her generation. Oprah’s Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 for charitable programs, including girls’ education in South Africa and relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Winfrey is a dedicated activist for children’s rights. She founded the Family for Better Lives foundation and also contributes to Tennessee State University. In September 2002, Oprah was named the first recipient of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. After The Oprah Winfrey Show ended on September 9, 2011, Oprah has remained in the rapidly shifting and converging media field through The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) , which was launched on January 1, 2011. In November 2013, Winfrey received the nation’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Barack Obama gave her this award for her contributions to her country. (Adapted from Biography website)