The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has one hell of a website with incredible amounts of information from upcoming events to updates on the anticipated museum, to information on every single Academy Awards ceremony.
This is the one spot where you can read the details of the who, what, why, when, and where of the history of the oldest and most revered competition in Hollywood.
From the first banquet in the 1920s to the latest presentation earlier this year, you can find information about the recipients of every category of competition that ever was. This includes categories that no longer exist, and the ones that lasted only one year (Best Title Writing, two categories for Best Director: Comedy and Dramatic, Unique and Artistic Picture, etc.). There are even photos of the most memorable moments of each night, from surprise wins to moving acceptances. There's so much to explore I just can't do it justice.
The site is designed so that a visitor to the site can pick and chose how they want to explore the pages dedicated to Oscar. Of course there are the winners and nominees, and in addition you can view the lists by awards or by films. You learn about the many locations that have been host to the ceremonies, the date of each event, and the exact duration of the specific year's competition (e.g. August 1, 1927 - August 1, 1928). Click on the button regarding memorable moments and you'll see fun information about what made that year's Oscars so special and unique, with plenty of trivia to satisfy any ardent fan.
Once you've had your fill of Oscar history, I encourage you to check out the rest of the AMPAS site. As previously stated, the list of calendar of events is always impressive and has enough going on every month that there's bound to be something to lure you to the Samuel Goldwyn theater where I dare you to find a bad seat in the house. Enjoy finding out more than you thought possible about the Academy. And enjoy the next ceremony so much more given your new found behind-the-scenes information.