Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is an American media executive, actress, talk show host, television producer, and philanthropist. Born in 1954, she became a global media leader.

Knowledge panel

Occupation

American talk show host, actress, producer, and author (born 1954)

Born in

Kosciusko

Born

January 29, 1954

Zodiac

Aquarius

Website

oprah.com

26,509

days alive

72

years old

$2.8B

net worth

#79 of 2,697

Born
January 29, 1954 in 🇺🇸Kosciusko
Zodiac
♒︎Aquarius·horse 🐎
Updated Jul 2026

Connect

@oprah
@Oprah
@oprah.com

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Before Fame

Oprah Winfrey was born in rural Mississippi in 1954 and experienced a challenging childhood, including poverty and abuse. Despite these early hardships, she excelled academically and began her broadcasting career in local radio and television news in Nashville and Milwaukee before moving to Chicago.

Trivia

  • •Oprah Winfrey was the first Black woman to own a production company in the United States.
  • •She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, one of the highest civilian honors in the U.S.
  • •Oprah Winfrey's first name, 'Oprah,' was originally intended to be 'Orpah,' a biblical name, but was misspelled on her birth certificate and she grew to prefer it.
  • •She was a finalist for the role of Shug Avery in the 1985 film 'The Color Purple,' a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Birth Chart

Natal Chart

Oprah's Birth Chart

Astrology
♈︎♉︎♊︎♋︎♌︎♍︎♎︎♏︎♐︎♑︎♒︎♓︎☉☽☿♀♂♃♄⛢♆♇
Fire
Earth
Air
Water
☉

Sun Sign

Aquarius♒︎

☽

Moon Sign

Sagittarius♐︎

Dominant Element

Air

⚠️ Rising sign requires birth time for accurate calculation

Planetary positions calculated for January 29, 1954

Day Lookup ToolDay MilestonesOn This Day
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⚡ Timeline
2011
Day 20,791
Age 56

OWN Network Debut

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2011

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) officially launched.

2010
Day 20,730
Age 56

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Confidence
96%
Nov 1, 2010

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

2008
Day 19,695
Age 53

OWN Network Launched

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2008

Announced the creation of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

2000
Day 16,864
Age 46

Oprah's Book Club Selection

Confidence
96%
Apr 1, 2000

Launched 'Oprah's Book Club' on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', significantly impacting book sales and authors.

1994
Day 14,582
Age 39

O, The Oprah Magazine Launched

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1994

Launched 'O, The Oprah Magazine', which became a highly successful publication.

1986
Day 11,660
Age 31

Harpo Productions Founded

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1986

Founded her own production company, Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backward).

1984
Day 11,180
Age 30

The Oprah Winfrey Show - Chicago Debut

Confidence
96%
Sep 8, 1984

Began hosting 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' in syndication from Chicago.

1978
Day 8,738
Age 23

Local Talk Show Host

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1978

Moved to Baltimore to host 'People Are Talking', a local talk show.

1973
Day 6,912
Age 18

First Television Job

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1973

Became the youngest news anchor and the first Black female news anchor at WTVF-TV in Nashville.

1971
Day 6,424
Age 17

College Enrollment

Confidence
96%
Sep 1, 1971

Began attending Tennessee State University, majoring in speech communications and performing arts.

1954
Day 0
Age 0

Birth

Confidence
96%
Jan 29, 1954

Born as Oprah Gail Winfrey in Kosciusko, Mississippi.