Oprah Winfrey. You've probably already heard her name and thought of this amazingly successful billionaire, but do you know the real story behind this hardworking woman? Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her unmarried parents separated leaving her grandmother to raise her on her farm. Oprah was an exceptionally bright child: she was reading by the age of two and skipped two grades (she skipped another later in her life)! Then, at the age of six, she moved with her mother to a poor, unsafe neighborhood. From then on everything went downhill. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayShe stopped caring about her grades and became disobedient as she grew up. Furthermore, her mother had no time for her (she had another daughter and a boyfriend) and, worst of all, she was sexually assaulted by her male relatives and was raped at the age of 14. birth (the child died soon after). Then, after all this trauma and chaos, her mother sent her to her father during her teenage years. While living with her father, Oprah benefited greatly. Her father transformed her into a completely different person. It made her very disciplined. For example, he forced her to learn 5 new words every day and take part in speeches, plays, debates and student councils throughout high school. This made her an excellent speaker. In fact, Oprah got a full scholarship from the University of Tennessee because she won a speech contest! Now, all this was just his childhood! His adult life is and has been very satisfying. It made her the eminent billionaire she is today. So, here's what happened. During college, she got a job at a local radio station in Nashville which led to her being the first black woman to anchor the evening news on CBS at age 19. Then, after graduation, she was hired on a morning talk show. in Baltimore. Because she was extremely articulate, she became the host of AM Chicago (later renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show) which was last in her ratings, but then Oprah changed her topics to women's issues and debated topics. This transformation made the show unquestionably popular! Oprah Winfrey has also starred in several films (her first was The Color Purple), starred in a miniseries, became a voice actress, started her own production company, and is the author of numerous books! This is how Oprah Winfrey became successful. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Also, did you know that these are not his only accomplishments? She has won numerous awards (Miss Fire Prevention, Chicago Academy of Arts Special Award, several Emmys for Best Talk Show, Presidential Medal of Freedom, etc.), is the most powerful book seller, is the highest paid entertainer, and is the sixth plus the richest woman in America, but considers opening a girls' school in Africa her greatest achievement. Some fun facts about Oprah Winfrey are: Harpo, the name of her production company, is Oprah spelled backwards and has launched many people's television careers (like Dr. Phil). Anyway, that's the life Oprah Winfrey has led so far. Despite all her hardships and struggles, she managed to be an amazing woman.