Oscar nominations and Hoosiers: 90 years of connections

Amid the build up to the Academy Awards ceremony, Hoosier History Live will delve into a range of Hoosiers, from stars and directors to cinematographers and composers â€" who have been nominated for (and, in some cases, won) Oscars since the awards began in the late 1920s. In fact, one of the nominees for Best Actress at the first Oscar ceremony in 1929 was a veteran performer born in Evansville who has been mostly forgotten. Because so much attention has focused on some stars in Indiana who became household names. like James Dean and Carole Lombard were both nominated for Oscars, we won't dwell on them during this show. We will make an exception in the case of Steve McQueen, who was born in Beech Grove and lived with his mother on the near-eastside of Indianapolis during his early childhood. Many listeners may not be aware that McQueen (1931-1980) was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in "The Sand Pebbles" in 1966.