Profile of the Day: Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

Did you know that the first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929? The ceremony’s first host was none other than the Academy’s first president, actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

Image: Douglas Fairbanks / Library of Congress

Long before it would become Hollywood’s biggest night, the first Academy Awards were handed out at a dinner party for around 270 guests at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony lasted just 15 minutes and honored the best films of 1927 and 1928. The winners of the 12 categories had been announced months in advanced. 

Known as the “King of Hollywood,” Fairbanks was considered one of the leading stars of the silent film era. His swashbuckling roles as Robin Hood and Zorro made him an audience favorite and his marriage to actress Mary Pickford made them the most popular actors in Hollywood. Along with Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffiths, Fairbanks when on to form his own film studio, United Artists.

How are you related to Douglas Fairbanks? Explore his family tree and discover your connection to the silent film star!

View Douglas Fairbanks’s Geni Profile