12 of Oprah Winfrey’s Most Oprah Moments to Celebrate Her 66th Birthday

Published Jan 29, 2020

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3:08pm

She’s a media mogul, gives a hell of a speech and is the chief most gesticulative woman in the world. We’re just going to come out and say it: Oprah Winfrey is queen. In honor of Winfrey’s 66th birthday, we’ve compiled 12 of the most Oprah things only Oprah is capable of doing.

1. When She Introduced The World To The Magic Of ‘oprah’

Winfrey was only 32 years old when she launched The Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago, which would ultimately run for 25 magnificent seasons. Prior to hosting her successful self-titled talk show, Winfrey worked as a host on the Baltimore-based program People Are Talking, followed by another hosting gig on A.M. Chicago.

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2. When She Surprised 131 Audience Members With A Trip To Philadelphia

If there’s one thing Winfrey loves, it’s surprises. Queen O and 131 lucky audience members spent the day climbing the Rocky steps, seeing the Liberty Bell and eating oodles of Philly cheesesteaks. Dreams do come true.

3. When She Invited The World To Join Her Book Club

Winfrey announced her bangers-only book club in 1996. Since then, she’s picked 76 literary masterpieces (and one fraud…looking at you James Frey). Here she is posing with the author of Pulitzer Prize winner The Underground Railroad: A Novel, by Colson Whitehead.

4. When Everybody Got A Car (except For Us, Sigh)

Winfrey reached the pinnacle of living life in ALL CAPS when she celebrated her show’s 19th season by giving 276 audience members brand-new Pontiac G6s. Baller.

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5. When She Showed Us A Few Of Her Favorite Things

In 2002 Oprah began her (wonderful) tradition of gifting audience members with a truckload of her favorite things. Ellen DeGeneres is great, but Oprah is the only talk show host ever to inspire genuine fits of hysteria.

Mathew Imaging/Getty Imaes

6. When She Said, ‘boy, Bye’ To Dr. Phil's 'stache

Oprah celebrated the tenth anniversary of her eponymous publication, O, The Oprah Magazine, by shaving off Dr. Phil’s mustache on air. We’ll just leave you with that.

7. When She Got Bootylicious With Beyoncé

Touché, Oprah. We were not ready for that jelly.

8. When She Proved She’s Superhuman

Fact: Oprah doesn’t feel pain because she is OPRAH.

9. When She Boldly Professed Her Love For The Holy Goodness, Bread

Whether baguette, lavash, flaxseed, challah, bagel or ciabatta, the woman does not discriminate. Amen.

10. And She Casually Deposited $2 Million Into The Bank

Winfrey told Ellen DeGeneres that she made her first trip to the bank in 30 (!) years and deposited a cool $2 million. NBD.

Jesse Grant/ Getty Images

11. When She Confirmed Mindy Kaling’s Pregnancy

Usually the mom-to-be is responsible for announcing her pregnancy. Not in this case. Kaling was honored (obviously) when her A Wrinkle in Time co-star spilled the beans about her pregnancy.

12. And Finally, When She Delivered The Greatest Oration Known To (wo)man

After receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2018 Golden Globes, the Super Soul Sunday podcast host gave a speech so inspirational and moving we definitely wept.

All hail Oprah!

RELATED: Real Talk: Oprah Says She and Stedman Graham Will Never Get Married

Lex Goodman

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.

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