Nothing glitters more than the Academy Awards ceremony: The biggest Hollywood stars wearing their best outfits, marching on the red carpet and competing for the most prestigious prize in the industry. The ceremony was first held in 1929 and was first televised in 1953. After almost 90 years of the Oscars we tried choosing the best and the most memorable moments of the ceremony. Whether it's a speech that left everyone shocked, an unforgettable dress, surprise winners and really big names that got snubbed. Read on to walk with us down memory lane and reminisce about the Oscar's greatest moments:

Start the slideshow to uncover the unforgottable moments from Hollywood's most honored night>>

When Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty Got the Wrong Envelope

In 2017 PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan made an unforgettable error that led to Best Picture presenters Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty introducing the wrong winner. For more than 2 minutes, La La Land was the 2017 Oscar Best Picture winner, & its producers started giving out their speeches for the cameras and the attendees—till they were interrupted and told that Moonlight won. It was an odd moment, everyone on both sides of the equation were shocked. Moonlight's producers said that they couldn't have imagined such a scenario, not even in their wildest dreams.

Chris Rock Called Hollywood Racist

Chris Rock, the veteran stand-up comedian hosted the Oscar host despite anger over the 2nd year of #OscarsSoWhite, criticizing the lack of diversity in the acting categories, and actors like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith who snubbed the 2016 Oscars because of this reason. Rock started out by saying that if there were nominations for Oscar hosts, he wouldn't have gotten the job. Paul Giamatti, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith were some of the celebs that Rock made fun of. Rock's edgy and irreverent humor made a lot of waves back then and sure the cameras were all over him.

Leonardo DiCaprio Wins the Best Actor Award

After being nominated five times in the acting category, he finally won for his role in the survival drama The Revenant. Onstage, the social & environmental activist spoke about global warming efforts, stressing that we all need to work together in order to solve this problem. Before the ceremony started, DiCaprio marched the red carpet with Kate Winslet who starred with him in the movie Titanic and the professional photographers at the event could not get enough of them. Kate was seen crying a bit when Leo was giving his speech (probably feeling like a proud sister and saying to herself I knew him when he was just a little boy!).

Ellen DeGeneres Takes an Amazing Selfie

When Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Jared Leto, Bradley Cooper & Angelina Jolie all appear in the same picture, there's was no doubt people were going to be talking about it. Presumably, that's what host Ellen DeGeneres had in mind when she herded the A-listers into the same shot. Thirty-seven million looked at the picture on Twitter and the social network site crashed. When they were doing rehearsals, she said that she could do something of that sort, but it was not rehearsed. We bet many professional photographers were jealous of that shot!

Heath Ledger wins an Oscar After His Death

Heath Ledger's death due to drug abuse was tragic and unexpected, and Hollywood was truly shocked. 7 months later, after the The Dark Knight was released, he amazed again with his impressive performance as the Joker. His family got the Best Supporting Actor award on behalf of Matilda (her mother is Michelle Williams), his then 3-year-old daughter. His performance in the movie was hailed as being magnetic, detailed and creepy as the part of the Joker requires. It's considered to be the best movie performance of an actor playing a villain.

Jack Palance Did Pushups Onstage

When he was 73, Jack Palance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in City Slickers, he demonstrated how thrilled he was by doing 3 one-arm push-ups onstage. (Talking about some fitness skills here!) Billy Crystal who starred in the movie with him later joked that Palance bungee jumped off the Hollywood sign after the ceremony. Palance also told a funny story about how he made his first film in 1949 and was told by the director of that film that one day he'll win an Academy Award. 42 years later he was right.

Adrien Brody Kisses Halle Berry Without Her Consent

Adrien Brody was thrilled about winning the Best Actor award for his part in The Pianist. And that's just putting it delicately. He impulsively held Halle Berry in his arms and kissed her. The surprising and unwanted kiss made headlines all over the celebrity news, but it took years till Brody really got the backlash he had coming for it. After the incident, Berry wiped off her face from the kiss throughout the rest of Brody's speech. Berry was asked whether or not Brody was a good kisser, she replied that since they didn't really kiss, all she can say is that it was wet.

Cher's Dress

In 1988, Cher wore a spider-web dress that made it slightly hard to focus on sentimental speech after she won the Best Actress award for her part in Moonstruck. After stepping on her dress and nearly falling, she went on the stage with just 1 earring in place. Cher said that she knew people were going to talk about the dress saying that it's odd maybe, but she thought it was appropriate for the occasion. Bob Mackie designed the dress and it was an iconic red-carpet look, she truly astonished in a jewel-encrusted sheer dress with a matching shawl.

Tatum O'Neal - The Youngest Academy Award Winner

When she was only ten years old, Tatum O'Neal won the Academy award for best supporting actress after her fantastic performance in Paper Moon, in which she co-starred alongside her dad, Ryan O'Neal. She wore a tuxedo and thanked her father & director of the film, Peter Bogdanovich. She was presented by Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland and was accompanied to the stage by her grandpa Charles O'Neal. Tatum said that she didn't have any acting aspirations in that age (filming of the movie started when she was only 8 years old). She's been acting in movies for over 45 years, having just a few short breaks of two or three years in her portfolio. Will she also hold the record for the longest acting career in history?

Sally Field Gives a Memorable, Yet Misquoted Speech

When Sally Field won the best actress award in 1985 for her performance in the movie Places in the Heart she had one of the most memorable Academy Award speeches. She was often misquoted as saying You like me! You really like me! But she never really said those words in front of the cameras. What she actually said was "I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me." When she first won in 1980 she was a bit restrained and didn't completely allow herself to feel and she made up her mind to really own the moment after she won for the 2nd time.

Sergio Leone Gets Ignored

This genius director never got the honor he deserved. The academy ignored him completely. A Fistful of Dollars was the 1st true Spaghetti Western, and the first in the director's trilogy (A Man with No Name), that starred Clint Eastwood and had an amazing score from Ennio Morricone. He was also shunned for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and for Once Upon a Time in The West, probably two of the best movies in the western genre. The epic crime saga Once Upon a Time in America gave the Academy a chance to compensate for their disregard of Leone’s movies, but they failed to do so. It was his final full movie.

1979: Kramer vs. Kramer gets the Oscars, Apocalypse Now loses

Kramer vs. Kramer is a very good adaptation of the book written by Avery Corman, it revolves around a couple's divorce. But to choose it over Apocalypse Now? The guys who made this decision in 1979 are nowhere to be found, probably in hiding. Apocalypse Now is a surreal masterpiece, one of the best war movies ever, if not the very best of them. With amazing performances & beautiful visuals, almost everyone will agree that it's the superior movie among the two and the much more memorable one. Yet, the die was cast.

Orson Welles Gets Ignored

Many consider Orson Welles the best director in the history of cinema, mainly thanks to two masterpieces in his portfolio. Citizen Kane (1941) which was a groundbreaking movie at the time and Touch of Evil (1958) that offered a bleak look on society and human nature. It’s almost impossible to grasp that Citizen Kane lost to How Green Was My Valley (John Ford), both for Best Picture & Best Director. Touch of Evil is worse: it wasn’t even nominated! Welles was nominated as an actor for Citizen Kane (and lost), and once again ignored for Touch of Evil, although his portrayal of the racist Captain Hank Quinlan was powerful and impressive.

1974: The Godfather 2 vs. The Conversation vs. Chinatown

In 1974 it was Coppola and De Niro vs. Coppola and Hackman vs. Polanski and Nicholson! The Godfather 2 might be the best sequel ever made. The Conversation was a cinematic achievement and had Gene Hackman in one of the best performances of his career. He played there one of cinema’s most unforgettable characters, a man who appears to be in control on the outside but is crumbling on the inside. Chinatown might be the best neo-noir film ever made. The Academy chose The Godfather 2 which is a solid choice, The Conversation and Chinatown couldn’t have chosen a worse year to be made. At least Coppola lost to himself so his legacy is untouched by defeat.

Marlon Brando Makes It Political

Marlon Brando might have been the 1st to use Hollywood's top awards show as a political stage. He won Best Actor award for his role in The Godfather, but he was no show in the ceremony. He sent a young woman, a Native American activist by the name of Sacheen Littlefeather, to speak instead of him. She explained that the reason for which Brando cannot accept the award is because of the way American Indians are represented in Hollywood. Some booed her, and some applauded her. Months later Brando was a guest on Dick Cavett's Show and said on camera that he had no regrets whatsoever regarding what he's done.

Alfred Hitchcock gets ignored

Probably the greatest director of all time, Hitchcock was too controversial for the conservative people in the Academy (or maybe they do have something against Brits – Scott, Kubrick and now Hitchcock…). He was nominated for Best Director 5 times (for Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window and Psycho), and lost all five. Strangers on a Train – ignored. Dial M for Murder – ignored. The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, and The Birds – all ignored in the major categories. Sadly, some geniuses were destined to be fully recognized just after their death. However, every cinema lover recognizes his legacy even today.

Ridley Scott Gets Ignored

In 1979 Alien came out, one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever, it wasn’t nominated in any major category. In 1982 Blade Runner came out, one of the most outstanding future dystopia movies ever made, wasn’t nominated in any major category .1992: With Thelma and Louise, Scott lost Best Director to The Silence of the Lambs, which is reasonable. But Thelma and Louise wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture. 2000: Scott didn't get the best director award for Gladiator and in 2001 he directed Black Hawk Down but didn't get the award once again .2007: American Gangster should have been at least nominated. The Academy isn’t big on Ridley Scott yet his making the celebrity news with every new film he directs and that’s a statement, too.

Martin Scorsese Wins A Long Due Best Director Award

It all started in 1976 when Rocky won, and Taxi Driver lost. Then came the outrageous decision to choose Ordinary People over Raging Bull. Martin Scorsese probably thought that they’ll make up for their bad decisions with an Oscar for The Last Temptation of Christ. Wrong. Scorsese lost again. It seemed like he couldn’t possibly lose with Goodfellas against Dances with Wolves. Kevin Costner and the Academy thought differently. In 2002 and 2004 he was hopeful again with Gangs of New York and The Aviator, and of course he lost again and again. After losing faith in the Academy he won for The Departed in 2006. Not one of the best efforts in his portfolio, though.

Halle Berry Wins the Oscar

Berry was exceptional in the movie Monster's Ball, her acceptance speech after getting the Academy Award for it was just as impressive. Even today she's the only black woman to win the Best Actress award which definitely talks loads about her legacy and talent. An emotional Berry said the moment is much bigger than her. She dedicated her win to every woman of color who can now win the award after the door was opened. In 2016, Berry said she was very disappointed to see that the door she was talking about didn't open all that much.

 

Björk Dresses as A Swan & Lays an Egg

With her song from Dancer in the Dark nominated for Best Original Song (I've Seen It All), colorful Icelandic musician Björk showed up at the Academy Awards dressed as a swan (or at least with a swan dress). This wasn't enough for her, so she also laid an egg on the red carpet to make everything really memorable. Without a doubt, it is one of the most unforgettable dresses ever to appear on the red carpet. We all can agree that without Björk things would have been much more boring.

Stanley Kubrick Gets Ignored

None of Stanley Kubrick’s movies ever won Best Picture or Best Screenplay. He himself never got Best Director. We're talking about the genius who made -Paths of Glory (one of the best war movies ever), Spartacus (an amazing epic), Dr. Strangelove (brilliant dark satire), 2001: A Space Odyssey (one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever), A Clockwork Orange (maybe the best movie ever), The Shining (one of the best horror movies) and Full Metal Jacket (another outstanding war movie).Is it because his movies never have a happy end? Is it because he himself was a misanthrope? It can’t be because he’s British (just ask Kate Winslet and Danny Boyle).

Roberto Benigni Shows How Happy He Is

Benigni's Holocaust movie, Life is Beautiful, won 3 Oscars in the 1999 ceremony (Best Actor, Best Original Score and Best Foreign Language Film). When Sophia Loren announced Benigni as the winner of the foreign film award, Benigni stood on the top of his chair & waved his hands in the air cheerfully. Benigni then jumped up to the stage. He said that it's a very happy moment for him and that he wants to kiss everyone. He also said that it's all a question of love and thanked people for their love of films. He also thanked his parents who raised him with love despite difficult financial circumstances.

Shakespeare in Love Gets the Best Picture Award, Saving Private Ryan Loses

In one of the most surprising moments in the history of the Oscars, the historical romantic comedy that had Gwyneth Paltrow & Joseph Fiennes in the leading roles defeated Steven Spielberg's wartime epic Saving Private Ryan for the Best Picture award. Steven Spielberg wasn't completely robbed, he was named Best Director. Shakespeare in Love won both Best Picture & Best Screenplay at the 1999 Oscars. Saving Private Ryan is considered one of the best war movies ever made, while Shakespeare in Love is just a decent period piece.

Elia Kazan Won an Honorary Oscar

Elia Kazan is considered by many to be one of Hollywood's best directors, with movies such as On the Waterfront, Viva Zapata! East of Eden, Splendor in the Grass, & A Streetcar Named Desire. He also made more than a few enemies during the McCarthy era when he pointed out people as suspected Communists. Many years later, Hollywood gave him an honorary Academy Award, but he still remained controversial. Warren Beatty & Meryl Streep gave a standing ovation, while Nick Nolte & Ed Harris did not stand up of clap.

Cuba Gooding Jr. Screamed on Stage

When it just began it was quite similar to any other Best Supporting Actor speech, but when the orchestra started playing, hinting the actor to stop talking, Cuba Gooding Jr. started to shout. For a minute or so, he screamed out names of his fellow actors such as co-star Tom Cruise. Cuba said that his super excited response was very much in line with the character he played in Jerry Maguire. He added that he was so overwhelmed that he just lost it for a bit and had very little control over what he was doing.

Forrest Gump vs. The Shawshank Redemption vs. Pulp Fiction

1995 saw 3 of the most beloved movies in history competing against one another. “Life was like a box of chocolates” vs. “Only guilty man in Shawshank” vs. “Hamburgers. The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast”. Three fantastic movies, it’s difficult to decide which one is truly the best, but the people have spoken, and The Shawshank Redemption ranks #1 on IMDb’s top 250. To say that you don’t like it is like saying you don’t like chocolate, puppies and breathing. The Academy missed its timeless effect and yet again chose a light, sweet and sweeping Americana tale – Forrest Gump.

Charlie Chaplin Gets an Honorary Academy Award

In 1972 Hollywood cheered for Charlie Chaplin with a twelve-minute standing ovation, but sadly this was not filmed. That night took place just a short while after Chaplin returned to America following a twenty-year politically-forced exile in Switzerland (since he was suspected as a communist sympathizer). After a short thank you speech from Chaplin in which he said he was feeling emotional and grateful to be among friends, the audience stood up on their feet once more when he put on his signature hat & cane. Chaplin was 83 years when he received his award.

George C. Scott Refused His Academy Award

George C. Scott was a serious dude, so when he said he wasn't going to show up to the ceremony, he was serious. He was very critical of the ceremony and didn't want to be a part of it. He couldn't help it from being nominated, & definitely couldn't stop people from being extremely impressed from his role as Patton. He was the winner in the Best Actor category, but when they announced him, Goldie Hawn who was the presenter, said oh my god! Since she knew what was coming. Scott's character was the anti-Hollywood.

Barbra Streisand & Katharine Hepburn Were Tied for the Best Actress Award

Barbara Streisand was so happy to receive her 1st Oscar statuette for Funny Girl that she told it "Hello, Gorgeous!". It was actually a tie with Katharine Hepburn – the two of them got 3,030 votes & Streisand took center stage also due to Katharine Hepburn's absence. Back then, it was the 3rd tie in the history of the Oscars; There were 3 more since then (the best documentary feature in 87', the best live action short film in 95' and the best sound editing in 2013).

Sidney Poitier - The First Black Man to Win Best Actor

When Poitier got the award for his role in Lilies of the Field, he got a little kiss on the cheek from Anne Bancroft. Conservatives were shocked by the kiss; Interracial marriage was illegal in America back then & the Civil Rights Act was passed. It took thirty-eight years till another black man won the category, it was Denzel Washington who won in 2002 for his role in Training Day. Poitier fondly remember the night of his win in 2002 and said that it was a real sign of progress and something that represented hope for democracy.

Elizabeth Taylor Wins an Oscar For Butterfield 8 Following Health Problems & Controversy

Elizabeth Taylor usually was at the focus of Hollywood gossip, but she was really in the middle of a media scandal after the story of her affair with Eddie Fisher as published. Fisher was a married man, and his wife was one of America's sweethearts, Debbie Reynolds. When Taylor played an upscale call girl in the movie Butterfield 8, costarring with Eddie Fisher, it became even more scandalous. Taylor did get some sympathy, when she was sick with pneumonia. She won the one and only Oscar of her career for her role in the movie, arriving to the ceremony weak & breathless.

When Donald Duck Co-Hosted the Ceremony

A long time before CGI & hologram technology turned this stuff into an easy task, the Academy Award brought Donald Duck to host a part of the 1958 ceremony. He appeared on film & talked to the other hosts of the show— Jack Lemmon, David Niven, Bob Hope, James Stewart & Rosalind Russell. We do not know how much money the beloved duck got for his hosting gig, but we believe it was a sum large enough to allow him to buy a new pair of trousers.

Hattie McDaniel Was the First Black Oscar Winner

In 1940 Hattie McDaniel won the supporting actress award for playing Mammy—a slave in the movie Gone With the Wind, she had to sit in the back. When Hattie went up on stage she said it was on the happiest moments of her life. It took 51 years till another black woman won, it was Whoopi Goldberg who won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her part in Ghost. In 1975, Hattie entered the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame & in 2006 she was the 1st black Oscar winner given a US postage stamp.