Photos: Oprah Winfrey

On Jan. 2, 1984, Oprah Winfrey debuted as host of “AM Chicago” on WLS-TV. In less than a year, the show expanded to one hour and was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” It entered national syndication in 1986, eventually reaching 40 million viewers each week, helping her build her media empire that now centers around the Oprah Winfrey Network.