Oprah Winfrey

Every entry, with its source

At 0

1. Jan 29, 1954

   Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi

   Raised at first by her grandmother in the rural South.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 17

1. c. 1971

   Miss Black Tennessee at 17, and a part-time radio job

   Radio station WVOL hired her to read news while she was still in high school. An oratory contest won her a full scholarship to Tennessee State.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 22

1. Jun 1976

   Co-anchor of the 6 o'clock news at Baltimore's WJZ-TV

   Before that she had been the youngest, and first Black female, news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 24

1. Aug 14, 1978

   Co-host of the local talk show People Are Talking

   In Baltimore. The talk format suited her far better than the news desk.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 29

1. Jan 2, 1984

   First episode of AM Chicago

   She took over a morning show that was last in the ratings. Within months it overtook Donahue as Chicago's top talk show.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 31

1. Dec 18, 1985

   Film debut as Sofia in The Color Purple

   Her first acting role. It brought an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 32

1. Sep 8, 1986

   The Oprah Winfrey Show goes national

   Syndicated across the US, it ran for 25 years. She founded Harpo Productions the same year.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 42

1. Sep 17, 1996

   Launched Oprah's Book Club

   The first pick was The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Her selections became instant bestsellers.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 44

1. Oct 1998

   Produced and starred in the film Beloved

   Based on Toni Morrison's novel. It flopped at the box office, losing about $30 million.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 48

1. c. 2002

   Fortune calls O magazine the most successful start-up ever

   Her own magazine had become an industry phenomenon.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 49

1. c. 2003

   First Black woman billionaire, according to Forbes

   Forbes listed her as the world's only Black billionaire from 2004 to 2006.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 52

1. Jan 2007

   Opened a $40 million girls' academy in South Africa

   The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley on Klip, near Johannesburg.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 56

1. Jan 1, 2011

   Launched her own cable network, OWN

   The Oprah Winfrey Network.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 57

1. May 25, 2011

   Final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show after 25 years

   She was 57.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 59

1. c. 2013

   Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama

   The highest US civilian honor.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org