1986
The show debuts with "How to Marry the Man/Woman of Your Choice," September 8.
1987
Oprah talks to West Virginia resident Mike Sisco, a gay man with AIDS who set off a firestorm of fear and rage by swimming in a public pool.
1988
After losing 67 pounds, Oprah wheels out a wagon loaded with exactly that much fat.
1989
A surprise visit by Mary Duncan, Oprah's beloved fourth-grade teacher.
1990
Oprah is moved to tears by Truddi Chase, a woman with 92 distinct personalities.
1991
Susan Lucci, a.k.a. All My Children's Erica Kane, appears with her eight TV husbands.
1992
The show segregates the audience by eye color—with blue-eyed members given fabric collars and treated poorly—to illustrate the nature of racism.
1993
After years of requesting tickets, superfan Gladys Finley gets a special ride to a taping.
1994
Oprah takes her studio audience on a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia.
1995
After the O.J. Simpson trial, the show airs a four-part series on the verdict and the case.
1996
The first Oprah's Book Club selection: Jacquelyn Mitchard's
The Deep End of the Ocean.
1997
During the Wildest Dreams tour, Oprah fulfills her own by dancing onstage with Tina Turner.
1999
Celine Dion announces her "indefinite exit" from show business.
2001
After 9/11, the "Islam 101" episode strikes a chord with viewers...
2002
...but an episode titled "Is War the Only Answer?" inspires an outpouring of anger.
2003
After David Caruso loses over 300 pounds, Oprah gives him a Porsche—the car he'd always wanted to fit into.
2004
All 276 audience members are given brand-new Pontiac G6s.
2005
Bra experts help audience members find their correct size.
Related: O's bra intervention
2006
Over five episodes, Oprah and Gayle drive cross-country.
Related: Gayle King interviews Oprah about the end of her show
2007
David Letterman's six-year campaign to be on the show pays off.
2008
Monica Jorge, a mother who lost her limbs to a flesh-eating disease, tells her story.
2009
The season kickoff features a flash mob of 21,000 dancing to the Black Eyed Peas.
2010
In Oprah's final "Favorite Things" show—a two-part extravaganza—the audience receives gifts ranging from a Josh Groban CD to a 2012 VW Beetle.
What do you think was the most unforgettable episode of
The Oprah Winfrey Show?
Tell us in the comments!
Next: Oprah's Style: 25 Years of Fashion Hits & Misses
