| | Wings - the first (and only) silent film to win Best Picture |
| | Wings - the first war film to win Best Picture |
| | Wings - the first film to win Best Picture and every other nomination it received |
| | Wings - the first film to win Best Picture without being nominated for Best Director |
| | Wings - the first film to win Best Picture without receiving any acting nominations |
| | The Broadway Melody - the first sound film to win Best Picture |
| | The Broadway Melody - the first musical to win Best Picture |
| | The Broadway Melody - the first film to win Best Picture without winning any other Academy Awards |
| | Cimarron - the first Western to win Best Picture |
| | Grand Hotel - the first (and only) film to win Best Picture without receiving any other nominations |
| | She Done Him Wrong - the shortest film to be nominated for Best Picture (1 hour 6 minutes) |
| | The Private Life of Henry VIII - the first foreign film to be nominated for Best Picture and to win any Academy Award (British) |
| | It Happened One Night - the first of only three films to win every major Academy Award, including Best Picture |
| | It Happened One Night - the first Best Picture nominee to win both Best Actor and Best Actress |
| | It Happened One Night - the first Best Picture winner to win both Best Actor and Best Actress |
| | It Happened One Night - the first comedy to win Best Picture |
| | Mutiny on the Bounty - the first remake to win Best Picture |
| | Mutiny on the Bounty - the last film to date to win Best Picture without winning any other Academy Awards |
| | The Life of Emile Zola - the first biographical picture (biopic) to win Best Picture |
| | Grand Illusion - the first foreign language film to be nominated for Best Picture (French) |
| | The Wizard of Oz - the first children's film to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | Gone with the Wind - the longest film to be nominated for Best Picture (3 hours 54 minutes) |
| | Gone with the Wind - the longest film to win Best Picture (3 hours 54 minutes) |
| | Gone with the Wind - the first all-color film to win Best Picture |
| | Rebecca - the first (and only) thriller to win Best Picture |
| | Mrs. Miniver - the first Best Picture nominee to receive nominations in all of the four acting categories |
| | Mrs. Miniver - the first Best Picture winner to receive nominations in all of the four acting categories |
| | The Bells of St. Mary's - the first sequel to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Lost Weekend - the first of only two films to win both Best Picture and the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or |
| | Hamlet - the first foreign film to win Best Picture (British) |
| | All About Eve - the first of only two films to receive 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture |
| | From Here to Eternity - the last Best Picture winner to date to receive nominations in all of the four acting categories |
| | Marty - the second of only two films to win both Best Picture and the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or |
| | Marty - the shortest film to win Best Picture (1 hour 31 minutes) |
| | Marty - the first (and only) film based on a television movie or mini-series to win Best Picture |
| | Around the World in Eighty Days - the first film to win Best Picture in a year when all nominees were filmed in color |
| | Ben-Hur - the first of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture |
| | The Apartment - the last black-and-white film before 1993 to win Best Picture |
| | In the Heat of the Night - the first (and only) mystery to win Best Picture |
| | Oliver! - the first (and only) G-rated film to win Best Picture |
| | Midnight Cowboy - the first (and only) X-rated film to win Best Picture |
| | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? - the first (and only) film to receive the most nominations ever (9) without being nominated for Best Picture |
| | Patton - the first PG-rated film to win Best Picture |
| | A Clockwork Orange - the last X-rated film to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | The French Connection - the first R-rated film to win Best Picture |
| | Cabaret - the Best Picture nominee to win the most Academy Awards (8) without winning Best Picture |
| | The Exorcist - the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Godfather Part II - the first sequel to win Best Picture |
| | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - the second of only three films to win every major Academy Award, including Best Picture |
| | Rocky - the first sports film to win Best Picture |
| | The Turning Point - the first of only two Best Picture nominees to receive the most nominations (11) without winning a single Academy Award |
| | Reds - the last Best Picture nominee to date to receive nominations in all of the four acting categories |
| | The Color Purple - the second of only two Best Picture nominees to receive the most nominations (11) without winning a single Academy Award |
| | The Last Emperor - the last foreign film to date to win Best Picture (Chinese) |
| | The Last Emperor - the first PG-13-rated film to win Best Picture |
| | Driving Miss Daisy - the last film to date to win Best Picture without being nominated for Best Director |
| | Driving Miss Daisy - the last film to date to win Best Picture with a PG-rating or lower |
| | The Godfather Part III - the first of only two trilogies to have all three films nominated for Best Picture |
| | Beauty and the Beast - the first (and only) animated film to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Silence of the Lambs - the third of only three films to win every major Academy Award, including Best Picture |
| | The Silence of the Lambs - the last Best Picture winner to date to win both Best Actor and Best Actress |
| | The Silence of the Lambs - the first (and only) horror film to win Best Picture |
| | Schindler's List - the first (and only) black-and-white film after 1960 to win Best Picture |
| | The Fugitive - the first (and only) film based on a television series to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | As Good As It Gets - the last Best Picture nominee to date to win both Best Actor and Best Actress |
| | Titanic - the second of only two films to receive 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture |
| | Titanic - the second of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture |
| | Traffic - the last film to date based on a television movie or mini-series to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the second of only two trilogies to have all three films nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the third of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the last film to date to win Best Picture and every other nomination it received |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the last film to date to win Best Picture without receiving any acting nominations |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the first (and only) fantasy film to win Best Picture |
| | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - the first (and only) threequel to win Best Picture |
| | Crash - the first (and only) film festival acquisition to win Best Picture |
| | Good Night, and Good Luck. - the last black-and-white film to date to be nominated for Best Picture |
| | Letters from Iwo Jima - the last foreign language film to date to be nominated for Best Picture (Japanese) |
| | Dreamgirls - the first (and only) film to receive the most nominations in a given year (8) without being nominated for Best Picture |
| | The Departed - the first (and only) remake of a foreign film to win Best Picture |