Oprah Winfrey

She permanently withdrew herself and her show from consideration for a Daytime Emmy Award after being awarded the Lifetime Achievement in 1998. She was quoted as saying, "After youve achieved it for a lifetime, what else is there?"

In addition to being a news anchor on WJZ-TV13 in Baltimore, Maryland, Winfrey was co-host with Richard Sher (a reporter) on a local talk show called "People are Talking" on that station.

Graduated from East Nashville High School in Nashville, Tennessee , where she was voted most popular.

Was sued by Texas cattlemen who claimed that Oprah defamed beef on her talk show. The case went to trial, causing Oprah to have to relocate her shows production to Amarillo, Texas, for the duration of the trial. She was found not liable.

She was ranked first in Entertainment Weeklys 1998 list of the most powerful people in show business, but dropped to sixth in the 1999 list. Still, she was the highest ranking performer, as well as the highest ranking woman, and the only African-American to make the list.

Graduate of Tennessee State University, with a degree in Speech and Performing Arts.

Is the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1985" in John Willis Screen World, Vol. 37.

(15 September 1997) Announced that Oprah would receive $130,000,000 for continuing her talk show through the 1999-2000 TV season.

Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1997.

Inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame in Seneca, New York.

(Fall 1999) She and Stedman Graham are teaching "Dynamics of Leadership" class at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

(October 1999) Given an honorary National Book Award for her "influential contribution to reading and books".

(November 1999) Awarded (lst) 50th anniversary medal by National Book Foundation, NYC.

Her immensely popular TV talk show is a Harpo Production. Harpo is Oprah spelled backwards. Harpo is also the name of a character in The Color Purple (Oprahs film debut) played by Willard E. Pugh.

Gave birth to a baby boy when she was just 14. The baby died after 2 weeks, from complications of being born 2 months premature.

Was instrumental in the passage of the Oprah Bill, in the early 1990s. The bill was signed into law by President Bill Clinton , and is aimed at stopping child abuse.

Raised in abject poverty, she received her first pair of shoes in 1959 at age 6. She learned to read at age 2. In fact, when it was time for her to start kindergarten, she wrote a note to her teacher insisting she should be in first grade. The teacher agreed and after finishing that grade she was then skipped to third grade.

(1986 - present) Partner is Stedman Graham.

Born at 7:51 PM EST

(April 2002) She and her former personal trainer, Bob Greene , announced they are buying seven shoreline lots from Getty Family Trust to build several homes, including one on 102-acre lot for Oprah. They plan to put conservation first and keep site development low key.

Ranked #1 on VH1s list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons"

Elected to the National Womens Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY

Ranked #1 Pop Culture Icon on VH1s "The Greatest" {200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons} , beating out Superman and Elvis.

Net worth is estimated to be US$1.1 billion.

(June 2004) Purchased a house at 3330 Radcliffe Avenue, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This superb 11,000 sq ft waterfront property was on sale for Cdn $18 million, at the time British Columbias most expensive house, but she paid Cdn $17 million (US$13 million).

Natural daughter of Vernon Winfrey by Vernita Lee (born 2 May 1935).

According to Forbes magazine, her 2005 net worth is $1.3 billion. She was the first African-American women to make the list of billionaires, in 2003.

Was a guest at friends Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger s star-studded wedding

First African-American woman to become a billionaire in American history.

After years of publicly criticizing David Letterman s late-night television show, "Late Show with David Letterman" , she and Letterman finally settled their differences when she agreed to appear on the December 1, 2005 episode, during which time she was to be in New York to promote her musical of The Color Purple . During the Superbowl of 2007, they appeared in an advertisement together for Lettermans show. In the ad, they sat together on a couch watching the Superbowl, wearing opposing team jerseys.

Has a cameo playing herself in Throw Momma from the Train . In a "clip" from her show, she interviews a writer (the ex-wife of Billy Crystal s character) whose plagiarized and embellished "life story" is at the top of the bestseller lists (foreshadowing the James Frey controversy twenty years later).

Was #3 on the annual Forbes magazine Celebrity 100 list in 2006

(October 2006) Collapsed from heat exhaustion during a recent visit to her hometown of Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Winfreys name was originally "Orpah," after the biblical figure in the book of Ruth. Several different stories allude to the fact that either a misspelling on her birth certificate or a struggle with the pronunciation of her name eventually led to "Oprah" being adopted as her given name.

Has Native American ancestry.

Appearing on the annual "Time 100" list, Times ranking of the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2007 again, she is the only person who has been on that list five times (May 2007).

Her two-year-old golden retriever, Gracie, died after accidentally choking to death on another dogs ball [July 2007].

In 2006, she gave $58,300,000 to charity to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprahs Angel Network, and other groups.

In 2006, she earned an estimated $260 million in salary from her various interests including syndication, cable television, and print magazines.

Thanked by Shawn Colvin in the liner notes of her album "A Few Small Repairs".

Had two half-siblings from her mother. Her half-brother passed away from AIDS in December 1988 and her half-sister, Patricia Lee , died under mysterious circumstances in 2003.

Ranked #1 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list.

She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in 2009 and was the 2009 Commencement Speaker.

Jeff Bridges , Michael Douglas , Ellen DeGeneres , Kevin Costner , Steve Martin , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Carol Burnett , John Cleese , Rob Lowe and Ivan Reitman are among her various Southern California neighbors.

Worlds first black billionairess with an estimated worth of $2.3 billion as of 2009.

Her personal chef until 2007 was Art Smith.

Recipient of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors; other recipients that year were Jerry Herman , Paul McCartney , Merle Haggard , and Bill T. Jones.

With ratings at an estimated 6.5 million viewers per day, her show is the most popular talk show in the world.

Aunt of Chrishaunda Lee Perez , the daughter of her deceased half-sister Patricia. Oprah walked Chrishaundra down the aisle at her wedding in 2005.

Her idol is Diana Ross. Her favorite album is "Graceland" by Paul Simon. She was interviewed for the documentary about the album Under African Skies .

Attended Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin for a short period of time in her teenage years.

Over the 25-year run of her daytime TV talk show, Winfrey never once missed a day through absenteeism.

When Oprahs show went independent for the first time, her staff consisted of 4 personnel including herself. By 2011, her empire had expanded to 464 personnel.

Oprahs broadcasting career began in the late 1960s as a teenage intern at WVOL, an African-American radio station in Nashville, Tennessee.

Received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - a special Oscar for her charity work - on November 12, 2011 in Los Angeles.

Teenage crushes were Beatle Paul McCartney and the Jackson 5 s Jackie Jackson.

Ever since she was 15-years-old, Oprah has kept a journal of every day of her life.

Since the inception of the "Book Club" segment on her show, an estimated 30 million books were sold as a direct result of the worldwide publicity.

Oprah has become the first African-American woman to own a cable network. It is called OWN, which stands for Oprah Winfrey Network.

Her support of Barack Obama helped him to become the first Black US president.

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama.

Subject of the song "Oprah Winfrey" by Wesley Willis.

Longtime friend of Joan Rivers. Winfrey attended her funeral, when the comedienne passed away on September 7, 2014.

Good friends with Tyler Perry.

She is left-handed.

Last person to interview Liberace on television before his death - "The Oprah Winfrey Show" {(1986-12-25)} .

Friends with T.D. Jakes , Mike Wallace , Joan Rivers , Regis Philbin , Roger Ebert , Rachael Ray , David Oyelowo , Bill Cosby , Will Smith , Ellen DeGeneres , Ava DuVernay, and Kerry Washington.

Her five dogs: Luke and Layla (golden retrievers), Sadie (cocker spaniel) and Sunny and Lauren (springer spaniels).

Best friends with Gayle King and Quincy Jones.

Was invited to the premiere of Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. She walked out of the showing in disgust due to the films gore, specifically the scene where Lestat is bleeding profusely after having his throat slit by Claudia.

One of her favorite films is Memoirs of a Geisha.

Owns a company called Harpo Inc.

Her mentors were the late Maya Angelou and the late Joan Rivers.

Refers to her home as "The Promised Land," is 42 acres, cost $52 million, six bedrooms, 14 bath rooms, two theatre, a tennis court, ten fire places, a wine cellar, a man made lake, and a tea house.

Due to Oprahs immense popularity TV audiences tend to think that she was the first African-American woman to host her own TV talk show, when that distinction actually belongs to Della Reese with her short-lived "Della" .

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.

My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it,with.

Lots of people want to ride with you in the Limo, but what you want is,someone who will take the bus with you when the Limo breaks down.

All my life I have always known I was born to greatness.

Some women have a weakness for shoes. . . I can go barefoot if necessary.

I have a weakness for books.

My philosophy is that doing your best at this moment puts you in the,best place for the next moment.

On personal power: I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is,that I can live my life fearlessly.

On strategy: Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place,for the next moment.

Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life.

When the odds are against you and you have the depth of clarity to,listen to your own instincts and follow what is true for you, you may,not become a Jay-Z, but you will become the best thing that you can be.

She understands that every dream is valuable and every identity,deserves inspection through the looking-glass of television. She knows,the power of reflection and wields that power with grace and,generosity.

Whatever your dreams, ideas or rejects, we plant a seed, nurture it -,and then reap the fruits of our labors.

The future is full of possibility, whether you make one tiny change - or,a whole invigorating, thrilling, inspiring bunch of them.

When in doubt, be bold!,What kind of woman do I want to be? One who willingly gives and receives,love. One who is compassionate. Understanding. Positive. Forgiving. A,woman who makes responsible choices. I want to live with a heart open,to life.

Do the thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better,the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never,mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.

Every day brings tremendous possibility - a chance to live more fully,love more deeply and learn something new.

Although the struggle continues and our challenges are not behind us,the brilliance of his vision is that he reminds us that, like his,heroine Cora, we can never give up hope, can never stop trying.

I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.

Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.

You can have it all. Just not all at once.

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the mext moment,Turn your wounds into wisdom.

I trust that everything happens for a reason, even if we are not wise enough to see it.

You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.

Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgments of others.

In the mist of Difficulty lies Opportunity.

You look at yourself and you accept yourself for who you are, and once you accept yourself for who you are you become a better person.

All pain is the same.

Listen. Pay attention. Treasure every moment.

Opportunity may knock only once but temptation leans on the door bell,Every action, thought and feeling is motivated by an intention, and that intention is a cause that exists as one with an effect. If we participate in the cause, it is not possible for us not to participate in the effect. In this most profound way, we are held responsible for our every action, thought, and feeling which is to say, for our every intention…it is therefore, wise for us to become aware of the many intentions that inform our experience, to sort out which intentions produce which effects, and to choose our intentions according to the effects that we desire to produce.

The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.

A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.

I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.

The greatest lesson of life is that you are responsible for your life.

Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.

True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.

What I find powerful is a person withthe confidence to be her own self.

I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.

Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and there discovered was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.

Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration moving you from negative energy to positive,Eating more consciously now feels like a way of being. I actually think about how my food got to my plate.

The enjoyment comes from knowing the receiver understands the spirit of the gift.

There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.

I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.

Know this for sure: When you get the chance, go for it.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.

The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.

Improving your life doesn’t have to be about changing everything – it’s about making changes that count.

One of the greatest gifts you can give isyour undivided attention.

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another step-pingstone to greatness.

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.

You cannot hate other people without hating yourself.

Keep a grateful journal. Every night list five things that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life.

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

I think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves.

I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.

God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself and your role on Earth is to attach yourself to that divine force and let yourself be released to it.

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.

Every stumble is not a fall, and every fall does not mean failure.

The struggle of my life created empathy - I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me.

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.

I think people who have good parents come into the world with a strength, yes, and an advantage.

With age comes the understanding and appreciation of your most important asset, your health.

Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.

Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.

My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you I the best place for the next moment.

If you want to feel good, you have to go out and do some good.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.

Whatever has happened to you in your past has no power over this present moment, because life is now.

The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.

What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine.

I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

I know that inner wisdom is more precious than wealth. The more you spend it, the more you gain.

You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.

You alone are enough.