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1st Academy Awards: "Wings," Emil Jannings, and Janet Gaynor win

The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from August 1, 1927, to…

The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from August 1, 1927, to August 1, 1928, and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Tickets cost $5 ($94 in 2025, considering inflation); 270 people attended the event, which lasted 15 minutes. It is the only Academy Awards ceremony not broadcast on either radio or television; a radio broadcast was introduced for the 2nd Academy Awards.

During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards – later to be colloquially known as "Oscars" – in 12 categories. The winners had been announced three months ahead of the ceremony.

Key People

Emil Jannings

actor

German actor

Janet Gaynor

actress

American actress

Events Before

  1. Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands

    Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands

  2. Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China, in the

    Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China, in the journal Nature and declares them to be a new species he names 'Sinanthropus pekinensis' (now known as 'Homo erectus')

  3. American actress Mary Astor (21) weds American film director Kenneth Hawks (30) at her family home "Moorcrest" in the Ho

    American actress Mary Astor (21) weds American film director Kenneth Hawks (30) at her family home "Moorcrest" in the Hollywood Hills, until his death in 1930

  4. Industrialist Oskar Schindler (19) weds Emilie Schindler (20) in Svitavy, Czech Republic

    Industrialist Oskar Schindler (19) weds Emilie Schindler (20) in Svitavy, Czech Republic

  5. RCA and GE install three test television sets in homes in Schenectady, New York, allowing trials of inventor E.F.W. Alex

    RCA and GE install three test television sets in homes in Schenectady, New York, allowing trials of inventor E.F.W. Alexanderson's first home television receiver; a poor and unsteady 1.5-square-inch picture is received from a radio transmitter

Events After

  1. Claus von Stauffenberg is promoted to Second Lieutenant

    Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...

  2. Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutiona

    Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutionary base areas

  3. Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

    Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

  4. Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

    Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

  5. Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

    Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

More from the 1920s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 16, 1929?
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from August 1, 1927, to August 1, 1928, and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Tickets cost $5 ($94 in 2025, considering inflation); 270 people attended the event, which lasted 15 minutes. It is the only Academy Awards ceremony not broadcast on either radio or television; a radio broadcast was introduced for the 2nd Academy Awards.
Why is 1st Academy Awards: "Wings," Emil Jannings, and Janet Gaynor win historically important?
During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards – later to be colloquially known as "Oscars" – in 12 categories. The winners had been announced three months ahead of the ceremony.
Who was involved in 1st Academy Awards: "Wings," Emil Jannings, and Janet Gaynor win?
Key figures include Emil Jannings (actor), Janet Gaynor (actress).

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