Happy Birthday To One Of The World's Best Friends, Oprah Winfrey

“Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”― Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Celebrates 61st birthday with tributes not just from me but with some celebrities who appreciate her great impact.

Click link to view celebrities tribute: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/oprah-celebrates-61st-birthday-with-wishes-from-beyonce-ellen-2015291

 One of the world's greatest black female media giant and philanthropist in American history, American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, Oprah Gail Winfrey celebrated her 61st birthday, on the January 29, 2015.

She is a self-made woman, she rose from poverty as an African American born to a teenage mother in rural Mississippi to become one of the world's most powerful celebrities, with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Despite her humble upbringing and sad encounter as a adolescence in a small farming community, where she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, in Vernita, did not stop her from achieving her goals as she moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman.

The pain did not break her rather she taught people like me to “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” She entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville.

Her life experience made her sympathetic towards people, she has a big heart that understands what's wrong with the world and what we can do to make a difference. She is known to weep with those who are sad and laugh with those who are happy, she gives one a sense of belonging that you are not alone. She also reaches out a helping hand, that why I term her ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST FRIEND.

One of her words I keep close to me heart is “True forgiveness is when you can say, "Thank you for that experience.”― Oprah Winfrey

More so, she became famous for her multi-award-winning talk show 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'  which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. This show made many refer to her as  American beloved best friend.

Today, I celebrate with one of my mentors, a lady who has inspired young and old woman to believe in themselves. She inspired some of us to be courageous and pursue our dreams as well as love anyone that comes our way. She has motivated many, in likes of Tyler Perry, Tyra Banks to take the world and bring change.

Amongst her numerous impact, She is one of the partners in Oxygen Media, Inc., a cable channel and interactive network presenting programming designed primarily for women. With her success, she has also become one of the world's most generous philanthropists. In 2000, Oprah's Angel Network began presenting a $100,000 "Use Your Life Award" to people who are using their own lives to improve the lives of others.

Not to forget the School she build for young girls in South Africa to promote education.

Happy Birthday to a lady with a heart larger than life, Oprah Winfrey.

 Summary of Oprah Winfrey's Accomplishments
 
In the year 1972, Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and started working with a local black radio station WVOL as a news presenter.

In the year 1973, Oprah graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Speech and Performing Arts, and became the first black TV news anchor with WTVF-TV.

 In 1983, Oprah moved to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago, and within months after Oprah took over, the show went on to become the highest rated talk show in Chicago, and was renamed as "The Oprah Winfrey Show".

 In the year 1987, Oprah won her first Emmy award for best talk/service show host and best show.

Oprah received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Entertainer of the year award in 1989.

Oprah testified before the US Congress and initiated the National Child Protection Act in 1991.

In 1995, Oprah not only won an Emmy for Best Talk Show and Best Host for the second year in a row, but also kick started Oprah Online on AOL (American Online) in partnership with ABC. Oprah became the first woman and the only black on Forbes list of 400 richest Americans in the same year.

 In the year 1996, Oprah received the prestigious George Foster Peabody's Individual Achievement Award. In the same year she co-authored the book "A Journal of  Daily Renewal: The Companion to Make the Connection", with Bob Greene.

 In 1997 Oprah's Angel Network was formed, which encouraged people to make charitable contributions and volunteer work. In the same year, she co-authored another  book, "Uncommon Wisdom of Oprah Winfrey: A Portrait in Her Own Words" with Bill Adler.

 In the year 1998, Oprah received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards and an award for top talk show host.

 In 2002, Oprah received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2002 Emmy Awards for her services to television and film.

 In 2004, she was honoured by the United Nations Association of the United States of America with the Global Humanitarian Action Award.

 In the year 2005, Oprah was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the year. She also ranked in 9th place in public poll of the greatest Americans.

 She was also the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America's top 50 most generous philanthropists.

Oprah has invested $40 million and much of her time creating the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg in South Africa, which started in January 2007.

 Her efforts were applauded by Nelson Mandela, who congratulated her for overcoming her own disadvantaged youth to become a benefactor for others, and for investing in the future of South Africa.

 She has her own magazine titled O Magazine, where she touches upon different areas of one's life like health, interior decorating, spirituality, and the likes.

 She has her own commendable network known as the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), with shows featured specially on these - The Rosie Show, Extreme Clutter, Oprah's  Lifeclass, Facing Trauma, The Ambush Cook, and Our America with Lisa Ling, to name a few.