The world has been in the palm of Oprah Winfrey’s hands even before she chanted the famous line “You get a car, you get a car!” to an audience of adoring fans on the set of her groundbreaking “Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Winfrey started her once-modest media career in Nashville, Tennessee, and headed for Chicago, where she would embark on the decades-long journey into superstar and billionaire status. On Jan. 29, 2020, the brains behind OWN and ambassador/co-owner of Weight Watchers is turning 66.
»RELATED: Oprah Winfrey focuses on wellness, grief at Atlanta appearance
To commemorate the television icon’s big day, we’ve gathered some unique factoids about her life and career. Take a look.
6. She went to high school and college in Nashville.
She was born Orpah Gail Winfrey (she would later change it to Oprah) in Kosciusko, Mississippi, but she would later move to Nashville to live with her father. She would flourish at Nashville’s East Nashville High School, where she competed and placed in speech competitions. She would go on to receive a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, studying communication.
5. Oprah was once fired from a news anchor job.
On her quest to be a successful newswoman, Winfrey took a job as an evening news reporter at Baltimore’s WJZ-TV. The 20-something was reportedly told regularly that she was “unfit for television news.” The station removed her from the evening news role to a daytime reporting role, where her emotional reporting was more fitting. That job would lead to her own show.
4. She was the first black woman billionaire.
In 2013, the media juggernaut became the first black woman to reach billionaire status. Her longtime career as a television talk show host, entrepreneurial endeavors and endorsements helped her accumulate her fortune. According to Forbes, her net worth exceeds about $2.5 billion.
3. Michael Jackson was part of the inspiration for her wildly successful show ending.
Oprah once told Vogue what motivated her to end her show after 25 seasons. She told the magazine she decided that she did not want to be one of those people who could not grasp the magnitude of their success. She said an article about Michael Jackson’s desire to duplicate the success of “Thriller” hit home.
“I started reading this incredible article about Michael Jackson, and one of Jackson’s friends was quoted as saying, 'His number-one problem is that he never realized that Thriller was a phenomenon. And he spent the rest of his life trying to chase it.' And so, when Bad only sold — only sold — 20 million albums early on, he was disappointed because it wasn't Thriller,” she said in the interview. “He thought he was going to top Thriller. I went, 'Whoa. Pay attention to that.' I didn't want to be the person chasing a phenomenon. And that is what the Oprah show was.”
2. Though she is known for her healthy lifestyle, she hates drinking water.
Oprah has helped the Weight Watchers brand by showing potential users that you “can eat bread” yet still see weight loss results. The 66-year-old loves to eat mashed potatoes and healthier options including turkey-topped avocado toast. However, she does not like water.
"I don't like water," the media maven confessed, adding, "I trick myself into drinking ginger-vanilla infused water."
1. Her gift of gab got her the nickname "Preacher" as a child.
As a child, Oprah Winfrey was nicknamed “The Preacher” for her ability to recite Bible verses. Her grandmother taking her to church often led to her uncanny memory and ability to call out the verses without flinching.
About the Author
