Gone with the Wind won eight Academy Awards: Best Picture,
Actress (Vivien Leigh), Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel),
Art Direction (Lyle R. Wheeler), Color Cinematography (Ernest
Haller, Ray Rennahan), Directing (Victor Fleming), Film Editing
(Hal C. Kern, James E. Newcom) and Writing – Screenplay
(Sidney Howard).
Vivien Leigh during the 12th Academy Awards Oscar night.
David O. Selznick in 1940.
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.
She left school while a teenager to become a performer in several traveling minstrel groups and in 1924 became one of the first
African American women to sing on U.S. radio. In 1952 McDaniel
died of breast cancer at the age of 57.
At Mount Carmel in Waco, Texas, agents of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
launched a raid against the Branch Davidian compound as
part of an investigation into illegal possession of firearms
and explosives by the cult.
Following the unsuccessful ATF raid, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation took over the situation. A standoff with the
Branch Davidians stretched into seven weeks.
David Koresh and at least 80 of his followers, including 22
children, died during the federal government’s second
disastrous assault. A fire erupted and the compound
was completely engulfed by the flames.
David Koresh (born Vernon Wayne Howell)
(August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993)
On February 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bowed
out after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour
episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing
audience. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a
single TV show up to that time.
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.
Over the next five decades, he became known for his versatility,
playing a wide range of characters in films such as "The French Connection" (1971), for which he won the Academy Award for
Best Actor, and "Unforgiven" (1992), which earned him a
second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Hackman’s career is marked by memorable performances in both dramatic and comedic roles, including "The Conversation" (1974), "Superman" (1978) as Lex Luthor, "Hoosiers" (1986), and "The
Royal Tenenbaums" (2001). He retired from acting in 2004 to
focus on writing novels.
Hackman, his wife, and their dog were found dead at their home
in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 95.
