1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, were rerunning two episodes today in Troy, the 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: show Hey guys, Welcome to this day in History class, 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: where we bring you a new tidbit from history every day. 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: The day was May sixteenth, ninety nine. The first Academy 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: Awards ceremony, also known today as the Oscars, was held 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: in Hollywood at a dinner party for about two hundred 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: and seventy people. At the time, the film industry was 8 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: going through some major changes. Those silent films were still popular, 9 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: and sound films have been around for decades. The nine 10 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: seven film The Jazz Singer was the first feature length 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: movie with dialogue and singing. Talkies or talking pictures, were 12 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: on the verge of transforming Hollywood. In Louis B. Mayor, 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: the head of MGM Studio, founded the Academy of Motion 14 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy was a nonprofit organization 15 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: whose goal was to advance the film industry. A committee 16 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: of the Academy was soon tasked with creating a presentation 17 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: for Academy Awards. The ceremony was put on the back 18 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: burner as the Academy dealt with higher priority issues, but 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: plans for the awards were accepted in nineteen and in 20 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: nineteen the Academy hosted its first ceremony honoring film achievements. 21 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: Builled as a fundraiser for the Academy, the private dinner 22 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: and ceremony took place in the Blossom Ballroom at the 23 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets to the dinner were five dollars. 24 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: The dinner consisted of half broiled chicken on toast, new 25 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: string beans, and long branch potatoes, among other foods. Douglas Fairbanks, 26 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: an actor and the first president of the Academy, hosted 27 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: the fifty minute long presentation ceremony after the dinner. The 28 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: winners of the Academy Awards were announced to the press 29 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: three months before the first Academy Awards ceremony, but on 30 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: May sixteenth, nineteen twenty nine, the day of the ceremony, 31 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: Fairbanks and the Academy's Vice president, William C. DeMille, gave 32 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: out the trophies. The trophies, officially known as the Academy 33 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: Award of Merit, were designed by art director Cedric Gibbons 34 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: and sculpted by George Stanley. The statuette was a night 35 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: holding a sword and standing on a film real They 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: were about twelve inches or thirty centimeters tall, and were 37 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: made of twenty four Carrott gold plate at Bronze. Films 38 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: released between August first, nineteen and July thirty one nineteen 39 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: were eligible for recognition. The Jazz Singer was ineligible to 40 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: compete for Best Picture because the Academy had ruled that 41 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: pitting silent films up against sound films was unfair. The 42 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: first ever Academy award presented was given to German actor 43 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: A Millionnings, who was not present at the actual ceremony, 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: but one Best Actor for his role in the movies 45 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command. It 46 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: is worth noting that Yannings went on to start in 47 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: many Nazi propaganda films and was named an Artist of 48 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: the State by Joseph Goebbels, the reich Minister of Propaganda 49 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: and Nazi Germany. The first film ever to win Best 50 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: Picture or Outstanding Picture as it was called then, was Wings, 51 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: a movie about two World War One pilots who were 52 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: in love with the same woman. The film, directed by 53 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: William Wellman, cost two million dollars to produce and was 54 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: the most expensive movie at the time. Janet Gaynor was 55 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: the only woman to win an award. She scored the 56 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: Best Actress award for her work in the films Seventh 57 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: Heaven Street, Angel and Sunrise. Charlie Chaplin, who had been 58 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: removed from the Best Actor, Writer and Comedy Director categories, 59 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: was given an honorary award. The nineteen nine Academy Awards 60 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: ceremony was the only one that was not broadcast. The 61 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: next year, the awards were broadcast live on the radio, 62 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: and winners were not announced to the press until the 63 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: night of the ceremony. In nineteen nine, the Academy officially 64 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: began using the nickname Oscar for its awards, though people 65 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: had already been using the word Oscar in this context 66 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: and the origins of that name are unclear. The sealed 67 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: envelope system for announcing awards was instituted in the early 68 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, and in nineteen fifty three, the first televised 69 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: Academy Awards ceremony aired. Since their launched, the Academy Awards 70 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: have drawn criticism for their voting process, industry conflicts, bias 71 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: and questionable standards of quality, lack of diversity and membership, 72 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: and lack of racial and ethnic representation in nominees and winners. 73 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: I'm each Jeffcote and hopefully you know a little more 74 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. Here's another interesting note. 75 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: That honorary award that was presented to Charlie Chaplin at 76 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: the inaugural Academy Awards was stolen from the Paris offices 77 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: of the Association Chaplain and is reportedly worth more than 78 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: a million dollars. And if you'd like to follow us 79 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: on social media, you can find us at T d 80 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: I h C Podcast on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Thank 81 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: you so much for listening, and I hope to see 82 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow for more tidbits of history. Hey y'all, 83 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: I'm Eves and welcome to the Stand History Class, a 84 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: podcast that brings you a new tidbit of history every day. 85 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: The day was sixteenth, nineteen sixty six. China's Cultural Revolution 86 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: began when the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee issued a 87 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: document known as the May sixteenth Notification. The Cultural Revolution 88 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: was a decade long period of political and social upheaval 89 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: launched by Mao Zedong. The origins of the Cultural Revolution 90 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: are complex, but the ten years that ensued were characterized 91 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: by extreme violence, persecution, and an economic downturn. Mao Zadong, 92 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: the chairman of the Communist Party of China, proclaimed the 93 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: founding of the People's Republic of China in nineteen forty nine. 94 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: Mao set about instituting measures to reform society. Landlords were 95 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: killed and land was redistributed to peasants. The opposition was 96 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: violently suppressed, and Mao started the Hundred Flowers Campaign, inviting 97 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: criticism of the Communist Party of China's policies, but he 98 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: soon backtracked on it. In nineteen fifty eight, Mao launched 99 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: the Great Leap Forward, which was a five year campaign 100 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: a forced a cultural collectivization and rural industrialization, but implementation 101 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: was poor and hasty, and ideological purity was emphasized over expertise. 102 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: The disruption of China's agriculture and natural disasters led to 103 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: famine and massive economic and environmental destruction. The Great Leap 104 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: Forward was a failure and resulted in tens of millions 105 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: of deaths by starvation, execution, torture, forced labor, and suicide. 106 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: The government began to repeal the program by nineteen sixty, 107 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: but its failure created tension between party leaders. The campaign 108 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: was denounced and Mao was blamed. Mao's position and government 109 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: weakened as Mao attempted to regain his authority. Over the 110 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: next few years, there was a brief period of recovery 111 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: and economic stability. Agricultural and industrial production increased, but Mal 112 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: and his supporters were plotting a comeback. The exact origins 113 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: of the Cultural Revolution are not clear, but many historians 114 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: point to the play High Re Dismissed from Office, which 115 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: was about a Ming dynasty official who criticized the emperor. 116 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: Mal was convinced that the play supported the Defense minister 117 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: Pong Dehuai, whom Mao had purged because he criticized the 118 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: greatly forward Mao supporters also denounced the play as an 119 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: attack on Mao's leadership. Maw and his supporters began advocating 120 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: for a cultural revolution, claiming that they aim to restore 121 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: socialism and take down the ruling class. The cultural revolution 122 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: also operated as an effort to eliminate people who had 123 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: went up against Mao. In May sixteenth, nineteen sixty six, 124 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: the Central Committee of the CPC issued a document condemning 125 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: CPC member Pong Zen and his committee known as the 126 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: Five Man Group, for saying that the high replay was 127 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: an academic issue and not a political one. Pong and 128 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: other members of the group were purged from the CPC, 129 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: and the Five Man Group was replaced with the Cultural 130 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: Revolution Group. The May sixteenth notification stated that the enemies 131 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: of the Communist Party had infiltrated the party, and it 132 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: outlined the revolutions goal of pursuing class warfare. Though Mao 133 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: didn't formally launch the Great Poltarian Cultural Revolution until August, 134 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: this day is widely considered its beginning. Schools were closed, 135 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: intellectuals were sent to the countryside to do manual labor. 136 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:29,599 Speaker 1: A cult of personality formed around Mao. Students form paramilitary 137 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: groups called the Red Guards and targeted political enemies like 138 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: elites and others deemed to be anti revolutionaries. They urged 139 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: people to get rid of the four Olds or old customs, culture, habits, 140 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: and ideas. They also destroyed historical sites and artifacts. They 141 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: even carried out mass killings in cities. As the Red 142 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: Guards became more extreme, the People's Liberation Army was sent 143 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: in to restore order. Mao's death on September n s 144 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: mark the end of the Cultural Revolution. Death told very 145 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: greatly from the hundreds of thousands to millions, the economy 146 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: was damaged, the Cultural Revolution completely opened in Chinese politics 147 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 1: and society. I'm Eave Jeff Code and hopefully you know 148 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 149 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: And if you have any comments or suggestions, you can 150 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: send them to us at this day at i heart 151 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: media dot com. You can also hit us up on 152 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: social media where at t D i HC podcast. Thanks 153 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: again for listening to the show and we'll see you tomorrow. 154 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart 155 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 156 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: favorite shows.