An actor refused his Oscar and sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline on his behalf in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.

1973 — Brando refuses his Oscar (Sacheen Littlefeather speaks)

1995 — Acceptance speech protest

1969 — Actor declines for political reasons

1980 — Award returned in protest

A major Best Picture announcement was incorrectly given to the wrong film (La La Land announced, Moonlight actually won).

2015 — Envelope mix-up declares wrong Best Picture

2017 — La La Land mistakenly announced; Moonlight actual winner

2006 — First major live broadcast mistake

1999 — Best Picture misread on stage

A director won the Best Director Oscar the year after winning for a different film, achieving back-to-back directing wins.

1990 — Consecutive directing wins by same filmmaker

2005 — Director repeats as back-to-back winner

1981 — Back-to-back Best Director awards occur

2016 — Alejandro G. Iñárritu wins second consecutive Best Director (The Revenant)

This year marked the first time the Academy Awards were televised to a national audience in the United States.

1960 — Oscars broadcast begins

1953 — First nationally televised Oscars

1939 — First recorded televised ceremony

1948 — First TV broadcast of the ceremony

An actor famously climbed onto the backs of seats and exuberantly celebrated after winning Best Actor for a comic-drama.

2010 — Acceptance stage antics

1987 — Winner dances on seats

1999 — Roberto Benigni climbs chairs after Best Actor win

2002 — Actor rushes into audience after win

She became the first Black performer to win an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress) for her role in a major 1939-era film.

1940 — Hattie McDaniel becomes first Black Oscar winner (Gone with the Wind)

1939 — First Black performer wins an Oscar

1964 — First Black actress awarded

1950 — Breakthrough Black Oscar winner

A film tied the record for most Oscars won by a single film, taking home 11 statuettes.

2009 — Film wins exactly 10 Oscars

1998 — Titanic wins 11 Oscars (ties record)

1975 — A film sets record with 11 wins

2013 — A movie wins more than 11 Oscars

A crowd-filled, celebrity selfie taken by the host became one of the most-shared images from the ceremony.

1996 — Early viral photo at Oscars

2008 — Host's group photo circulates widely

2014 — Ellen's star-studded selfie goes viral

2012 — Famous on-stage photo of nominees

An upset Best Picture win over a widely favored gay-romance drama (Brokeback Mountain) sparked controversy.

2006 — Crash wins Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain

1982 — Controversial Best Picture choice

1994 — Unpopular winner beats art-house favorite

2010 — Surprise upset over a critical favorite

A film about an underdog quiz-show contestant swept the ceremony, winning multiple major awards including Best Picture.

1997 — Quiz-show movie takes multiple awards

2009 — Slumdog Millionaire wins multiple Oscars, including Best Picture

2011 — Contest-based film dominates the ceremony

1992 — Underdog film wins Best Picture and several awards

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Quizzes · Entertainment

Iconic Oscar Moments — Identify the Event: Multiple Choice

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Preview · 10 questions

01An actor refused his Oscar and sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline on his behalf in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
02A major Best Picture announcement was incorrectly given to the wrong film (La La Land announced, Moonlight actually won).
03A director won the Best Director Oscar the year after winning for a different film, achieving back-to-back directing wins.
04This year marked the first time the Academy Awards were televised to a national audience in the United States.
05An actor famously climbed onto the backs of seats and exuberantly celebrated after winning Best Actor for a comic-drama.
06She became the first Black performer to win an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress) for her role in a major 1939-era film.
07A film tied the record for most Oscars won by a single film, taking home 11 statuettes.
08A crowd-filled, celebrity selfie taken by the host became one of the most-shared images from the ceremony.
09An upset Best Picture win over a widely favored gay-romance drama (Brokeback Mountain) sparked controversy.
10A film about an underdog quiz-show contestant swept the ceremony, winning multiple major awards including Best Picture.