The annual ceremony honoring achievements in the film industry, The Academy
Awards, was held for the first time on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt
Hotel. It was a private dinner with an attendance of about 270 people.

The ceremony lasted only 15 minutes with fifteen statuettes (Oscars) awarded to
artists, directors and other personalities of the movie industry for achievements
during the 1927 to 1928 period. The post awards party was held at the Mayfair
Hotel. The cost of guest tickets for the night was $5.

Emil Jannings received the first Oscar, Best Actor in a Leading
Role for the movies “The Last Command” and The Way of All
Flesh” (1929).

Douglas Fairbanks, the Academy’s first president, and
Janet Gaynor, winner of the Best Actress award.

John Wayne accepts the Best Director Oscar on behalf of an absent John
Ford during the 25th Academy Awards in 1953. It was the first time the
ceremony was televised.

Staff Sergeant Ehlers

Walter David Ehlers (May 7, 1921 – February 20, 2014)

Ehlers was the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor to
participate in the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War
II. He died Thursday, Feb. 20 at a veterans’ hospital in Long
Beach, Calif. His passing leaves a total of only seven surviving
World War II Medal of Honor recipients.

 
Ehlers Medal of Honor

Harold Allen Ramis (November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014)

(FoxNews) – Comedy legend Harold Ramis, best known for his role
in the hit “Ghostbusters” films, has died. He was 69.

Ramis suffered from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a disease
that causes swelling in the blood vessels, and died from complications
of the illness surrounded by his family.

"His creativity, compassion, intelligence, humor and spirit will be missed
by all who knew and loved him," his agent said in a written statement.

Ramis’ Hollywood breakthrough came in 1978 when he co-wrote the
blockbuster comedy "National Lampoon’s Animal House." He went on to
co-write "Stripes" (1981), "Ghostbusters" (1984) and "Ghostbusters II"
(1989), films in which he also co-starred. 

Ramis co-wrote and made his directorial debut with "Caddyshack" (1980),
followed by "National Lampoon’s Vacation" (1983). He most recently
directed episodes of “The Office.” 

Among his professional honors and awards, Ramis was the recipient of
the American Comedy Award, the British Comedy Award, and the BAFTA
(British Academy) award for screenwriting.

Ramis is survived by his wife, Erica Mann Ramis, and children Violet Stiel,
Julian and Daniel Ramis. He also has two grandchildren.

Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña
February 21, 1893 – June 2, 1987)

Spanish classical guitarist  Andrés Segovia was given an Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1986 for his contributions to his genre. He disobeyed
his father by pursuing guitar rather than law. When he was sixteen, he had
a public performance in Grenada.

He has been regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Classic jazz singer Nancy Wilson released seventy albums and has won
three Grammy Awards. At the age of 15, while a High School student in
Columbus, Ohio, Nancy won a talent contest sponsored by local TV
station WTVN.