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In 1929, as the vibrant era of the Roaring Twenties drew to a close, Herbert Hoover took office as the 31st President of the United States. That same year marked the birth of a now-iconic tradition in the film industry: the inaugural Academy Awards.
Unlike today’s glamorous spectacles, the first Oscars were a modest affair without the dazzling red carpet. The ceremony took place during a private dinner at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
“That evening, we hosted 270 guests,” recounted Juan Pineda from the Hollywood Roosevelt. “The dinner cost $5 per person, which would be about $90 today.”
The event, a brief 15-minute presentation, was hosted by the renowned Douglas Fairbanks.
“Sid Grauman, the visionary behind the Chinese Theatre, was present, along with numerous notable figures,” Pineda noted. “A special tribute was also given to the legendary Charlie Chaplin.”
But there wasn’t the suspense of today.
The winner had been known months in advance.
The following year, in 1930, the Academy went for drama, announcing winners the night of the ceremony. However, an advance list of winners was sent to newspapers, embargoed until after the ceremony.
“And that went well for a few years until one of the newspapers actually ended up breaking the embargo and announcing the winners early,” Dave Karger, author of ’50 Oscar Nights,’ said.
The solution was the sealed envelope system that was introduced in 1941 and is still used today.
The pre and post show are part of the spectacle today, but the first televised broadcast didn’t happen until 1953.
“There was a lot of debate whether the Academy wanted to even have the ceremony on TV, but I think they realized that they needed to. That’s when you get a lot of these exciting moments like the tie for Best Actress between Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand in the late 60s,” Karger said.
Over the decades, the Oscars have given us unforgettable moments and barrier-breaking news
“In 1940, Hattie McDaniel won for Gone with the Wind and broke the color barrier at the Oscars. Halle Berry winning Best Actress, becoming the first black actress ever to win that huge category,” Karger said.
There were also memorable moments for other reasons.
“Like the famous streaker who came out when David Niven was presenting an award, like Marlon winning the Oscar for The Godfather and sending Satchin Littlefeather in his place to basically not accept the award. And then, of course, some more infamous moments like the mix-up between La La Land and Moonlight for Best Picture, where the wrong movie was announced as the winner,” Karger said.
From the private dinner in 1929 to the spectacle we know today, the Oscars are ever evolving, but the golden statue means everything.
“The one thing that all Oscar winners have in common, they all understand and appreciate the prestige of it, the importance of it,” Karger said.
March 15 is Oscar Sunday! Watch the 2026 Oscars live on ABC and Hulu.
Live red carpet coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars.”Catch all the action on the red carpet live on ABC, or stream on Hulu and OnTheRedCarpet.com.The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. and will be followed by “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose.”
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