25 facts about Oprah Winfrey

1. Oprah Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American television host, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history.
2. Oprah's favorite color is green.
3. As of 2007, Oprah Winfrey currently lives on "The Promised Land," a 42 acre ocean and mountain view estate in Montecito, California, outside of Santa Barbara. She bought the property for $50,000,000.
4. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century.
5. In 2004, Oprah Winfrey hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Tom Cruise.
6. Oprah's mother, Vernita Lee, was a housemaid, and her father, Vernon Winfrey, was a coal miner and a barber before becoming a city councilman.
7. Oprah Winfrey is a partial owner of the Granite Broadcasting Corporation.
   
8. In 2006, Oprah Winfrey signed on with Simon and Schuster to write a book about weight control, reportedly receiving more than $12 million.
9. Oprah Winfrey was once the world's only black billionaire.
10. At the age of 16, Oprah went to live with her father in Nashville, TN. She became an honor student, joined drama club, and won an oratorical contest.
11. Oprah Winfrey is scared of heights. In February 2007, Oprah revealed she has also had a fear of chewing gum since childhood.
12. Oprah Winfrey is not very fond of shoes. Indeed; she prefers walking barefoot.
13. In November 2006, Oprah Winfrey gave all the guests at a screening of her chat show $1300--on the condition they give it away to charity.
14. Raised in abject poverty, Oprah received her first pair of shoes in 1959 at age 6. She learned to read at age 2½.
15. Oprah Winfrey graduated from Tennessee State University, with a bachelor's degree in Speech and Performing Arts.
16. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.
17. Oprah Winfrey was sued by Texas cattle ranchers who claimed that Oprah defamed beef on her show. The case went to trial. She was found not liable.
18. Oprah's favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
19. Oprah Winfrey produced The Color Purple on Broadway in late 2005. Oprah was in a movie of the same work in 1986.
20. Oprah Winfrey co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen.
21. Oprah Winfrey had a baby boy when she was only 14 years old. However the baby died about two weeks later because he was two months premature.
22. Oprah's name was supposed to be Orpah, however, it was spelled incorrectly on her birth certificate.
23. One of Oprah's nicknames is "O," which is also the title of her magazine.
24. Oprah Winfrey is 5' 6.5" tall.
25. Among many expensive gifts that she's given to her studio audience, in one episode, Oprah Winfrey gave each person a car.