From couch-jumping to car giveaways, moments from 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' to remember
Oprah Winfrey became internationally famous thanks to the success of her talk show.
THE Oprah Winfrey Show aired for the first time on this day in 1986. It ran for 25 years and won over 45 Daytime Emmy Awards. From the first episode on ‘How to Marry the Man or Woman of Your Choice’, to its tearful farewell in 2011, the show and its host had a huge impact on the United States and beyond. Consistently number one in the talk show ratings, it spent years as the highest-rated programme in daytime television.
Oprah Winfrey was born in the rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi. In 1986, she revealed on her talk show that she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends before she moved aged 14 to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman.
She studied at Tennessee State University and later worked in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville. Oprah moved to Baltimore in 1976 where she hosted People Are Talking for eight years. She left to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago before The Oprah Winfrey Show launched in 1986.
She became internationally famous thanks to the success of her talk show, becoming the richest African American of the 20th century as well as North America's first black multi-billionaire. She also established her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, which is now her main platform.
Known for her charity work, the 64 year old has been described as the greatest black philanthropist in American history. Her Angel Network raised more than $50m for charitable programmes, including a school for girls in South Africa and relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
She also campaigns for children's rights. President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law in 1994 that Oprah had proposed to Congress, creating a nationwide database of convicted child abusers.
President Barack Obama presented Oprah with the nation's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in November 2013 for her contributions to her country.
Oprah also appeared in movies and television shows, such as The Color Purple and Selma. She has won many accolades, including 18 Daytime Emmy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, awarded by the Academy Awards and two additional Academy Award nominations.
In 1992, Oprah spoke to Betty Broderick, who killed her ex-husband and his new wife while they slept. Betty was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to 32 years in prison. She granted Oprah her first prison interview via satellite from the Central California Women's Facility.
In 1997, Oprah surprised single mom, domestic violence survivor and soon-to-be college grad Mattie Butler by paying off all $58,585.87 of her debt.
In 2011, Oprah introduced the world to Patricia, the half-sister, born to her mother Vernita Lee, she didn't know existed.
Comedian Ellen DeGeneres publicly came out as a lesbian in 1997 and she spoke to Oprah after appearing on a Time magazine cover next to the headline "Yep, I'm gay."
Tom Cruise's enthusiastic display of affection for his then-girlfriend, Katie Holmes, went viral around the world in 2005 when he started jumping on Oprah's couch.
There is no Oprah moment more iconic than the car giveaway when she gave new cars to her entire studio audience on the 2004 season premiere. Every person in the audience was given a new Pontiac G6, worth about $8 million in total.
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