This Day in Oscar History: December 20 (2021)

Here’s what happened today in Oscar History.

Born

Died

Released

Born

1887: Virgil E. Miller (86 at death) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Cinematography (Black-and-White)

1893: Stephen Avery (54 at death)

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Original Story

1898: Irene Dunne (91 at death) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{5 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Actress

1907: Paul Francis Webster (76 at death) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {16 Noms, 3 Wins}
     Oscar Winner: Original Song
     Oscar Nominee: Original Song

1910: Cary Odell (77 at death)

{3 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Art Direction/Production Design, Art Direction/Production Design (Black-and-White), Art Direction/Production Design (Color)

1921: George Roy Hill (81 at death) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {2 Noms, 1 Win}
     Oscar Winner: Directing
     Oscar Nominee: Directing

1931: Terry Sanders (90) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {5 Noms, 2 Wins}
     Oscar Winner: Documentary Feature, Two-Reel Short Film
     Oscar Nominee: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Two-Reel Short Film

1952: Terry George (69) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {3 Noms, 1 Win}
     Oscar Winner: Live Action Short Film
     Oscar Nominee: Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Live Action Short Film

1957: Tim Bevan (64) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{5 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Picture

1970: Todd Phillips (51) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{3 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay

1974: Mason Novick (47) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Picture

1983: Jonah Hill (38) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Supporting Actor

Died

1944: Johnny Marvin (47) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Original Song

1954: James Hilton (54) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {1 Nom, 1 Win}
     Oscar Winner: Screenplay
     Oscar Nominee: Screenplay

1961: Moss Hart (57) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Original Story, Screenplay

1968: John Steinbeck (66) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{3 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Story and Screenplay, Motion Picture Story

1968: Van Nest Polglase (70) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{6 Noms, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Art Direction/Production Design, Art Direction/Production Design (Black-and-White)

1973: Bobby Darin (37) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Supporting Actor

1976: Ned Washington (75) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {12 Noms, 3 Wins}
     Oscar Winner: Original Song, Original Score
     Oscar Nominee: Original Song, Original Score

1980: Ben Sharpsteen (85) [Pictured (hover to see)]

  {3 Noms, 2 Wins}
     Oscar Winner: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short
     Oscar Nominee: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Live Action Short Film

2008: Robert Mulligan (83) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins}
Oscar Nominee: Directing

Released

1936: Three Smart Girls (85) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{3 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1936 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Picture, Original Story, Sound Recording

1939: Gulliver’s Travels (82) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1939 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Original Song (“Faithful Forever”), Original Score

1940: Behind the News (81)

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1940 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Sound Recording

1945: They Were Expendable (76) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1945 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Sound Recording, Special Effects

1946: It’s a Wonderful Life (75) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{5 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1946 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Frank Capra), Actor (James Stewart), Editing, Sound Recording

1951: Death of a Salesman (70) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{5 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1951 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Actor (Fredric March), Supporting Actor (Kevin McCarthy), Supporting Actress (Mildred Dunnock), Dramatic or Comedy Score, Cinematography (Black-and-White)

1957: Raintree County (64) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{4 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1957 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Actress (Elizabeth Taylor), Scoring, Art Direction/Production Design, Costume Design

1960: Tunes of Glory (61) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1960 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Adapted Screenplay

1961: Lover Come Back (60) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1961 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Original Story and Screenplay

1966: The Sand Pebbles (55) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{8 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1966 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Picture, Actor (Steve McQueen), Supporting Actor (Mako), Original Score, Editing, Color Cinemaotography, Color Art Direction/Production Design, Sound

1974: The Island at the Top of the World (47) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1974 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Art Direction/Production Design

1974: Scent of a Woman (47) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1975 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Adapted Screenplay, Foreign Language Film

1975: Seven Beauties (46) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{4 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1976 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Directing (Lina Wertmüller), Actor (Giancarlo Giannini), Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film

1979: All That Jazz (42) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{9 Noms, 4 Wins @ 1979 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Original Song Score, Editing, Art Direction/Production Design, Costume Design Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Bob Fosse), Actor (Roy Scheider), Original Screenplay, Original Song Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction/Production Design, Costume Design

1979: Being There (42) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 1 Win @ 1979 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Supporting Actor (Melvyn Douglas) Oscar Nominee: Actor (Peter Sellers), Supporting Actor (Melvyn Douglas)

1985: A Chorus Line (36) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{3 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1985 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Original Song (“Surprise, Surprise”), Editing, Sound

1985: Ran (36) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{4 Noms, 1 Win @ 1985 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Costume Design Oscar Nominee: Directing (Akira Kurosawa), Cinematography, Art Direction/Production Design, Costume Design

1985: The Trip to Bountiful (36) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 1 Win @ 1985 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Actress (Geraldine Page) Oscar Nominee: Actress (Geraldine Page), Adapted Screenplay

1988: Working Girl (33) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{6 Noms, 1 Win @ 1988 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Original Song (“Let the River Run”) Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Mike Nichols), Actress (Melanie Griffith), Supporting Actress (Joan Cusack, Sigourney Weaver), Original Song (“Let the River Run”)

1989: Born on the Fourth of July (32) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{8 Noms, 2 Wins @ 1989 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Directing (Oliver Stone), Editing Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Oliver Stone), Actor (Tom Cruise), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound

1990: The Field (31) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1990 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Actor (Richard Harris)

1991: JFK (30) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{8 Noms, 2 Wins @ 1991 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Editing, Cinematography Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Oliver Stone), Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound

1996: Ghosts of Mississippi (25) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{2 Noms, 0 Wins @ 1996 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Supporting Actor (James Woods), Makeup

1996: One Fine Day (25) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 1996 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Original Song (“For The First Time”)

1997: Life Is Beautiful (24) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{7 Noms, 3 Wins @ 1998 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Actor (Roberto Benigni), Original Dramatic Score, Foreign Language Film Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Roberto Benigni), Actor (Roberto Benigni), Original Screenplay, Original Dramatic Score, Editing, Foreign Language Film

2002: The Wild Thornberrys Movie (19) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{1 Nom, 0 Wins @ 2002 Academy Awards}
Oscar Nominee: Original Song (“Father And Daughter”)

2006: Letters from Iwo Jima (15) [Pictured (hover to see)]

{4 Noms, 1 Win @ 2006 Academy Awards}
Oscar Winner: Sound Effects/Editing Oscar Nominee: Picture, Directing (Clint Eastwood), Original Screenplay, Sound Effects/Editing