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Entertainment

21 Classic Moments from the Academy Awards Through the Years

By Jess Catcher

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This year marks the 91st anniversary of the Academy Awards. That’s a long time for anything to be around! Even if you haven’t caught up on all the movies and performances nominated to take home the prestigious statue, it’s always fun to watch our favorite celebs get all gussied up for the big event. Of course, the ceremony has also seen its fair share of shocks and surprises — anyone remember the time a streaker ran across the stage before Elizabeth Taylor could present the Best Picture award in 1974? That’s part of what makes the whole night so exciting: You never know what’s going to happen! Whether your favorite actor wins their category or not, you can usually expect to have a good time watching along at home. 

We decided to gather up some of the best memories from the past 90 years of the Oscars while we prepare for this year’s shindig. It’s impossible to include all of the amazing moments over so many years, but these photos definitely still fill us with nostalgia. Take a look to see if we found your favorite moment from the Academy Awards’ long and legendary history!

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    Walt Disney received seven miniature statues to go along with his Honorary Academy Award for creating the first-ever full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  Sweet little Shirley Temple presented the statues to him back in 1938.

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    Marlon Brando was apparently still in a boxer's state of mind as he playfully tussled with Bob Hope at the 1955 ceremony. The actor took home the Best Actor award for his role as a fighter who "could have been a contender" in On the Waterfront.

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    Natalie Wood looks absolutely smitten with her Oscar date, Warren Beatty, as the pair made the rounds at the 1962 ceremony.  She was nominated for Best Actress that year for her role in Splendor in the Grass, which also co-starred Beatty. 

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    Rita Moreno wore this exact same gown again when she attended the ceremony in 2018, which was 56 years after this photo.  She and her West Side Story co-star, George Chakiris, took home the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards in 1962, presented to them by Rock Hudson.

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    Goldie Hawn was particularly surprised while presenting during the 1971 ceremony when she declared, "Oh my God! It's George C. Scott!"  The actor had publicly refused to accept his nomination and eventual win for his work in Patton.

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    Tatum O'Neal remains the youngest ever competitive Oscar winner after taking home the Best Supporting Actress award in 1974 for her first ever role in Paper Moon.

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    Sylvester Stallone won the Best Picture award for Rocky back in 1977, but he apparently wanted to take home a much bigger model.

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    It's difficult to tell in this photo, but that's Meryl Streep's Kramer vs Kramer co-star Dustin Hoffman giving her an affectionate smooch.  They both won Best Actor and Actress for the film in 1980.

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    Dolly Parton looked gorgeous sharing presentation duties with Broadway legend Ben Vereen back in 1980.

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    Sally Field's endearingly earnest acceptance speech at the 1985 ceremony has been infamously misquoted ever since her Best Actress win.  Her actual words were, "I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me."

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    We can only guess what caught Michael J. Fox and Whoopi Goldberg's attention while they made the rounds at the 1986 ceremony.

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    Cher stunned the audience when she presented the award for Best Supporting Actor to Don Ameche while wearing a very daring Bob Mackie gown and headdress in 1986. 

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    We can't say for sure what's in his glass, but Tom Hanks certainly had a lot to toast to after winning the 1995 Best Actor award for his iconic performance in Forrest Gump. 

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    Cuba Gooding Jr. spread a lot of love as he gave a string of thank-you's to his fellow cast and crew after winning Best Supporting Actor for his work in Jerry Maguire.  The actor even ended up talking over the band as he continued to express his gratitude during the 1997 ceremony.

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    It was a family affair when Frances McDormand won the Best Actress award for her work in the film Fargo, which was written by her husband and brother-in-law, Joel and Ethan Coen.  The brothers took home the award for Best Original Screenplay. 

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    If you look closely, you can see Céline Dion was wearing the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace from Titanic on the red carpet with music executive Tommy Mottola.  She showed it off again on stage as she performed "My Heart Will Go On" from the film during the 1998 ceremony. 

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    Ben Affleck and Matt Damon celebrated their win for Best Original Screenplay with their Good Will Hunting co-star, Robin Williams, who also won for Best Supporting Actor in 1998.

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    Before taking home the 1999 Best Actress award for her work in the film Shakespeare in Love, Gwyneth Paltrow walked the red carpet with her parents, Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner.

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    Halle Berry was understandably emotional when she made history as the first ever black woman to win the Best Actress award in 2002 for her work in Monster's Ball.

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    Sandra Bullock shimmered in her silver gown while taking home the Oscar for Best Actress in 2010 for her role in The Blind Side.

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    Funny ladies Maya Rudolph and Tiffany Haddish may have gotten sick of their heels by the time they presented during the 2018 ceremony, but they both still looked totally glam. 
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