Career Timeline of Oprah Winfrey: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Oprah Winfrey made an impact.
Oprah Winfrey is an influential American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. Her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, aired for 25 years and solidified her status as the "Queen of All Media." She was the richest African-American of the 20th century and the world's only black billionaire at one point. Winfrey is known for her philanthropic efforts and is often ranked among the most influential women globally.
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June 1976: Moved to Baltimore, Relationship Ended
In June 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore to work at WJZ-TV, which led to the end of her relationship with William "Bubba" Taylor, who was unwilling to leave Nashville.
1976: First Black Female News Anchor
In 1976, Oprah Winfrey became the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV).
1977: Shift in Role at WJZ-TV
In 1977, Oprah Winfrey was removed as co-anchor at Baltimore's WJZ-TV and worked in lower profile positions.
August 14, 1978: People Are Talking Premiere
On August 14, 1978, Oprah Winfrey co-hosted WJZ's local talk show "People Are Talking".
January 2, 1984: AM Chicago Debut
On January 2, 1984, Oprah Winfrey began hosting WLS-TV's "AM Chicago".
September 8, 1986: The Oprah Winfrey Show Broadcast Nationwide
On September 8, 1986, the first episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was broadcast nationwide.
1986: The Oprah Winfrey Show National Syndication
In 1986, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" began its 25-year run in national syndication from Chicago.
1987: Earned College Degree
In 1987, after becoming a successful television personality, Oprah Winfrey finally submitted her final paper and earned her degree from Tennessee State University.
August 1988: Competition with Donahue
In August 1988, Time magazine covered the much-publicized competition between Oprah Winfrey and Phil Donahue, highlighting Oprah's success.
1989: The Women of Brewster Place
In 1989, Oprah Winfrey produced and co-starred in the drama miniseries "The Women of Brewster Place".
1989: Inducted into NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame
In 1989, Oprah Winfrey was accepted into the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame.
1992: Moderated ABC Afterschool Specials
From 1992 to 1994, Oprah Winfrey moderated three ABC Afterschool Specials.
1994: Moderated ABC Afterschool Specials
From 1992 to 1994, Oprah Winfrey moderated three ABC Afterschool Specials.
1994: Shift in talk show content
Since 1994, Oprah Winfrey abandoned traditional talk-show fare for more edifying content, and her most significant role has become that of a spiritual leader.
April 16, 1996: Mad Cow Disease Show
On April 16, 1996, during a show about mad cow disease with Howard Lyman, Oprah Winfrey said she was stopped cold from eating another burger, leading to a lawsuit from Texas cattlemen.
1996: Introduced Oprah's Book Club
Late in 1996, Oprah Winfrey introduced the Oprah's Book Club segment to her television show, creating "the Oprah Effect" on book sales.
April 1997: Guest Appearance on Ellen
In April 1997, Oprah Winfrey played the therapist in "The Puppy Episode" on the sitcom Ellen, during which Ellen DeGeneres' character came out as a lesbian.
1998: America's Favorite TV Personality
According to the Harris poll, in 1998, Oprah Winfrey was America's favorite television personality.
1998: Change Your Life TV
In 1998, Oprah Winfrey began 'Change Your Life TV', further solidifying her role as a spiritual leader to her audience of over 22 million viewers.
1998: Conversation with Gary Zukav
In 1998, Oprah Winfrey began an ongoing conversation with Gary Zukav, an American spiritual teacher, who appeared on her television show 35 times.
1998: Winfrey Creates Oprah's Angel Network
In 1998, Oprah Winfrey created Oprah's Angel Network, a charity supporting charitable projects and providing grants to nonprofit organizations, raising over $80 million.
1998: Trial for Defamation of Perishable Food
In early 1998, Texas cattlemen sued Oprah Winfrey and Howard Lyman for "false defamation of perishable food" and "business disparagement" due to remarks made about mad cow disease; a jury found them not liable on February 26.
2000: America's Favorite TV Personality
According to the Harris poll, in 2000, Oprah Winfrey was America's favorite television personality.
2000: Richest African American of the 20th Century
By 2000, Oprah Winfrey was believed to have been the richest African American of the 20th century, with a net worth of $800 million.
2001: Prayer for America service and "Islam 101" show
In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Oprah Winfrey hosted a Prayer for America service at Yankee Stadium and aired a controversial show called "Islam 101" portraying Islam as a religion of peace.
2002: America's Favorite TV Personality
According to the Harris poll, in 2002, Oprah Winfrey was America's favorite television personality.
2002: "The Church of O" article
In 2002, Christianity Today published an article called "The Church of O," which discussed Oprah Winfrey's emergence as an influential spiritual leader and her role as a "postmodern priestess".
2002: Invitation to join US delegation to Afghanistan
In 2002, George W. Bush invited Oprah Winfrey to join a US delegation to Afghanistan to celebrate the return of Afghan girls to school, but she declined the invitation.
2002: Oprah After the Show Program Launch
In 2002, Oprah Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen, which was the initial network for her "Oprah After the Show" program.
2002: Winfrey Receives Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
In 2002, Oprah Winfrey was the recipient of the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards for her contributions to television and film.
February 2003: Interruption of anti-war series
In February 2003, Oprah Winfrey's series showing clips from people asking America not to go to war was interrupted in several East Coast markets by network broadcasts of a press conference by President George W. Bush and Colin Powell.
2003: First Black Woman Billionaire
In 2003, Oprah Winfrey became the first black woman billionaire in the world.
2004: Only Black Billionaire
From 2004 to 2006, Forbes listed Oprah Winfrey as the world's only black billionaire.
2004: Winfrey Films "Oprah's Christmas Kindness" in South Africa
In 2004, Oprah Winfrey and her team filmed an episode of her show, "Oprah's Christmas Kindness", in South Africa, addressing poverty and AIDS among children, and distributed Christmas presents to 50,000 children.
2004: Winfrey Ranked Among Most Generous Americans
In 2004, Oprah Winfrey became the first black person to rank among the 50 most generous Americans.
2005: Publication of "Reading with Oprah"
In 2005, Kathleen Rooney described Winfrey as "a serious American intellectual who pioneered the use of electronic media" in her book Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that Changed America.
2006: Only Black Billionaire
From 2004 to 2006, Forbes listed Oprah Winfrey as the world's only black billionaire.
2006: Recalling Anti-War Controversies
In 2006, Oprah Winfrey recalled past controversies, including hate mail she received for a show titled "Is War the Only Answer?", where she was accused of being un-American for even raising the question.
2006: Oprah After the Show Moves to Oprah.com
In 2006, Oprah Winfrey sold her stake in Oxygen network and moved her "Oprah After the Show" program to Oprah.com.
2006: Highest-Paid Television Entertainer
In 2006, Oprah Winfrey was the highest-paid television entertainer in the United States, earning an estimated $260 million.
2006: Confronted James Frey Over Fabrications
In 2006, after James Frey's A Million Little Pieces was found to contain fabrications, Oprah Winfrey confronted him on her show over the breach of trust.
2006: Winfrey Takes Staff to Hawaii
In the summer of 2006, Oprah Winfrey celebrated two decades on national TV by taking her staff and their families (1,065 people) on vacation to Hawaii.
January 2007: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls Opens
In January 2007, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls opened in Henley on Klip, South Africa, with 150 pupils, featuring state-of-the-art facilities.
September 8, 2007: Fundraiser for Obama
On September 8, 2007, Oprah Winfrey held a fundraiser for Barack Obama at her Santa Barbara estate during his presidential campaign.
December 9, 2007: Rally with Obama
On December 9, 2007, Oprah Winfrey joined Barack Obama for a rally in Columbia, South Carolina, which drew a crowd of nearly 30,000 people, the largest for any political event of that year.
December 2007: Series of rallies with Obama
In December 2007, Oprah Winfrey joined Barack Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina during his presidential campaign.
2007: Endorsement of The Secret
In 2007, Oprah Winfrey began endorsing the self-help program 'The Secret', leading to criticism about promoting pseudoscience and irresponsible influence.
2007: Popularity in the Arab world
In 2007, The Wall Street Journal reported that MBC 4, an Arab satellite channel, centered its entire programming around reruns of Oprah Winfrey's show because it was drawing record numbers of female viewers in Saudi Arabia.
January 15, 2008: OWN Announcement
On January 15, 2008, Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced plans to transform Discovery Health Channel into OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
2008: Yearly Income Increased
By 2008, Oprah Winfrey's yearly income had increased to $275 million.
2008: Viewership of The Oprah Winfrey Show
By 2008, The Oprah Winfrey Show's viewership had declined to around 7.3 million viewers, though it remained the highest-rated talk show.
2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama and Formation of OWN
In 2008, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama, potentially influencing one million votes during the Democratic primaries. In the same year, she also formed the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
2008: Endorsement of Eckhart Tolle's 'A New Earth'
In 2008, Oprah Winfrey endorsed author Eckhart Tolle and his book, 'A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose', which sold several million extra copies after being selected for her book club, leading to controversy for her spiritual views.
2008: PETA's Person of the Year
In 2008, Oprah Winfrey was named Person of the Year by PETA for her work in using her platform to help animals and uncover cases of animal cruelty.
2008: Arabic Broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show
In 2008, The New York Times reported that The Oprah Winfrey Show, with Arabic subtitles, was broadcast twice each weekday on MBC 4, highlighting her growing popularity in the Arab world.
2008: International airings of The Oprah Winfrey Show
In 2008, The Oprah Winfrey Show was airing in 140 countries internationally and seen by an estimated 46 million people in the US weekly.
2008: Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment
In 2008, as chairman of Harpo Inc., Oprah Winfrey was named the most powerful woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter.
2008: Endorsement's impact on Obama's campaign
In 2008, economists estimated that Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama was worth over a million votes in the Democratic primary, and her involvement was memorialized on a Topps trading card.
2009: America's Favorite TV Personality
According to the Harris poll, in 2009, Oprah Winfrey was America's favorite television personality.
2009: Apologized to James Frey
In 2009, Oprah Winfrey apologized to James Frey for the public confrontation regarding fabrications in his book.
2009: Filming in Denmark
In 2009, Oprah Winfrey filmed a series of interviews in Denmark, highlighting its citizens as the happiest people in the world.
2009: Planned Launch of OWN
In 2009, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) was originally scheduled to launch, but it was delayed.
May 2010: Oprah's Angel Network Shut Down
In May 2010, with Oprah Winfrey's show ending, Oprah's Angel Network stopped accepting donations and was shut down.
2010: Criticism from Bill O'Reilly
In 2010, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News criticized Oprah Winfrey's shows filmed in Denmark for promoting a left-wing society.
2010: Winfrey Remains Among Top 50 Most Generous Americans
In 2010, Oprah Winfrey remained among the top 50 most generous Americans, a position she held since 2004.
January 1, 2011: OWN Launch
On January 1, 2011, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) officially launched.
May 25, 2011: The Oprah Winfrey Show Finale
On May 25, 2011, the series finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" aired.
2011: The Oprah Winfrey Show Ends
In 2011, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" concluded its 25-year run in national syndication.
2012: Winfrey's Scholarships to Morehouse College
As of 2012, Oprah Winfrey had given over 400 scholarships to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
2012: Winfrey's Charitable Giving Reaches $400 Million
By 2012, Oprah Winfrey had given away approximately $400 million to educational causes.
2013: Winfrey Donates to Smithsonian and Receives Medal of Freedom
In 2013, Oprah Winfrey donated $12 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
April 2014: Fundraiser for Lavern Chatman
In April 2014, Oprah Winfrey spoke at a fundraiser in Arlington, Virginia, for Lavern Chatman, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, despite prior reports of Chatman's liability in a fraud scheme.
2014: Richest Self-Made Woman
As of 2014, Oprah Winfrey had a net worth in excess of 2.9 billion dollars, overtaking Meg Whitman as the richest self-made woman in America.
2016: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Hillary Clinton in the presidential election and referred to Donald Trump as a "demagogue".
2016: SuperSoul 100 list
In 2016, Oprah Winfrey selected 100 people for the SuperSoul 100 list of "innovators and visionaries who are aligned on a mission to move humanity forward" on Harpo Productions' SuperSoul TV.
January 2017: Joins 60 Minutes
In January 2017, CBS announced that Oprah Winfrey would join 60 Minutes as a special contributor.
September 2017: Debut on 60 Minutes
In September 2017, Oprah Winfrey started as a special contributor on 60 Minutes.
2018: Left 60 Minutes
By the end of 2018, Oprah Winfrey left 60 Minutes. Also in 2018, The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened a special exhibit on Oprah Winfrey's cultural influence through television.
2018: Political activities
In 2018, Oprah Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Stacey Abrams in Georgia and donated $500,000 to the March for Our Lives student demonstration.
2018: Declined presidential campaign
In 2018, Oprah Winfrey stated that while she was humbled by the idea of people thinking she could run the country, she would not be able to do it due to the nature of the business.
2018: Meeting with Mohammad bin Salman
In early 2018, Oprah Winfrey met with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, when he visited the United States.
March 21, 2020: Oprah Talks COVID-19 Debut
On March 21, 2020, "Oprah Talks COVID-19" debuted on Apple TV+ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 30, 2020: The Oprah Conversation Debut
On July 30, 2020, "The Oprah Conversation" debuted, featuring Oprah Winfrey exploring relevant topics with thought leaders from around the world.
2020: Presidential Run Speculation
In 2020, there was media speculation that Oprah Winfrey might run for president, but she ultimately denied any plans to do so and later campaigned for Joe Biden.
2022: Endorsements in Pennsylvania and Maryland elections
In 2022, Oprah Winfrey endorsed John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania Senate election and Wes Moore in the Maryland gubernatorial election, co-hosting a virtual fundraiser for Moore in June.
2022: OWN Your Vote Campaign
In 2022, Oprah Winfrey established OWN Your Vote, a nonpartisan group focused on voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns, specifically targeting Black women with tools and resources for the November election.
January 18, 2023: Wes Moore's Inauguration
On January 18, 2023, Oprah Winfrey attended and spoke at Wes Moore's gubernatorial inauguration.
August 21, 2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris
On August 21, 2024, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
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