On February 29, 1940, Gone with the Wind is honored with eight
Oscars by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. An epic Southern romance set during the hard times
of the Civil War, the movie swept the prestigious Best Picture,
Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Film Editing,
and Actress categories.

However, the most momentous award that night undoubtedly
went to Hattie McDaniel for her portrayal of “Mammy,” the
housemaid and former enslaved woman.

McDaniel, who won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award,
was the first African American actress or actor ever to be honored
with an Oscar.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1895, McDaniel demonstrated her
talents as a singer and actress while growing up in Denver,
Colorado.

Eugene Allen Hackman
(January 30, 1930 – c.February 26, 2025)

American actor and novelist, widely regarded as one of the
greatest actors of his generation. Hackman gained widespread recognition for his breakthrough role as Buck Barrow in
"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967), which earned him his first
Academy Award nomination.

Hackman, his wife, and their dog were found dead at their home
in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 95.

An investigation into the deaths of the couple and their dog is
ongoing, according to Santa Fe police.

   
Zane as Match, was one of the three high school boys
who made up Biff Tannen‘s gang in Back to the Future 
(1985).

1993

1990

1997

Actor William George Zane Jr. was born in Chicago. His
breakthrough role was in the 1989 Australian film Dead
Calm, a performance that earned him a nomination for
the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most
Promising Actor.

He has since appeared in numerous films and television
series, and starred as the main antagonist Caledon Hockley
in the epic film Titanic (1997), for which he and the rest of
the ensemble cast was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild
Award.

On February 19, 1992, 24-year-old recent film school graduate
John Singleton became the youngest and first Black film
director nominated for an Academy Award for his movie,
Boyz n the Hood.

(TMZ) – Kevyn Major Howard, the actor best known for playing
Rafterman in the war movie Full Metal Jacket, has died.

Howard’s family told TMZ that he died at a Las Vegas hospital surrounded by loved ones on Friday, Feb. 14.

According to the outlet, Howard had been in hospital in the
weeks before his death due to respiratory issues. His official
cause of death, however, has yet to be determined.

1987