Influence

After that short introduction on Oprah's early life, I'll skip to her influences and achievements.

Oprah Winfrey: Early Years

Oprah Winfrey.
Born: January 29, 1954.
Oprah's original name was Orpah Winfrey.
She was named after the Biblical character in the Book of Ruth.
But according to her, she claimed that her family and friends were unable to pronounce “Orpah” caused them to put the “P” before the “R” in every place else other than the birth certificate, so she just changed it.

 Oprah was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi to her parents,Vernita Lee, who was eighteen, and Vernon Winfrey, who was twenty. Her parents were not married, and soon broke up after giving birth to her.
Shortly after her birth, her mother and she traveled north to live, where they both lived six years in rural poverty with her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee. Her grandmother taught Oprah to read at age three.

At age six, Oprah moved to  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin with her mother.Oprah had stated that she was molested  by her cousin, her uncle, and a family friend, starting when she was nine years old.

So, to sum it up, Oprah had a hard, and stressful childhood.