February 26, 1942

Joan Fontaine and Gary Cooper holding their Oscars at the Academy Awards after party, Feb. 26, 1942 (public domain via Los Angeles Times photographic archive, UCLA Library)

Ribbon for the Army’s Distinguished Unit Citation
80 Years Ago—Feb. 26, 1942: US Army Distinguished Unit Citation is authorized, worn above right breast pocket.
Academy Awards: best picture How Green Was My Valley, best actress Joan Fontaine in Suspicion, best actor Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, best director John Ford for How Green Was My Valley, first Oscars awarded for documentaries. Oscar statuettes made of plaster sprayed with bronze lacquer; recipients could exchange them for the traditional gold-plated bronze after the war.