Five fast facts about Oprah Winfrey

Five fast facts about Oprah Winfrey

It is Oprah Winfrey's birthday! Fans of the actress and media mogul have hailed her as the next best candidate for President of the United States. Here are five surprising facts about Oprah.

oprah winfrey
Vogue.com/Annie Leibovitz

Today is Oprah Winfrey's 63rd birthday!

The celebrated television host, actress, media mogul, and philanthropist has lived quite an impressive life.  

To celebrate Oprah's birthday, here are five interesting tidbits about her life:

  1. Oprah's home in Telluride, Colorado can only be accessed via gondola. Visitors must take a 10-minute boat ride up one side of a mountain and down the other before they reach the elaborate property.
  2. As a child, Oprah wrote a note to her nursery school teacher saying "I don't think I belong here 'cause I know a lot of big words". The teacher agreed, and Oprah was allowed to skip to Grade 1.
  3. Oprah credits her grandmother Hattie Mae for guiding her towards success. She says it was Hattie Mae who encouraged her to speak up in public, giving Oprah the confidence at an early age and a positive sense of self.
  4. Early in her career, a producer at a Baltimore television station sent Oprah for a hair makeover. That French perm caused her hair to fall out. 
  5. Oprah has been best friends with Gayle King since 1976, when they were both in the 20s. That's over 40 years! Gayle says of the first night she stayed at Oprah's house: "We became friends that first night because for the first time, I met somebody who I felt was like me".

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