Film & TV History
Jan 6 Dakota Fanning receives the Rising Star Award at the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival
People's Choice Awards
Jan 7 35th People's Choice Awards: Will Smith & Reese Witherspoon win (Movie Star) and Hugh Laurie & Christina Applegate win (TV)
- Jan 8 14th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Film
Golden Globes
Jan 11 66th Golden Globes: Slumdog Millionaire, Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet win
- Jan 25 25th Sundance Film Festival: "Precious" based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Music Single
Jan 26 "Blame It (On the Alcohol)" single released by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain (Billboard Song of the Year 2009)
- Feb 5 59th Berlin International Film Festival: "The Milk of Sorrow" wins the Golden Bear
BAFTA Awards
Feb 8 62nd British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "Slumdog Millionaire" Best Film, Danny Boyle Best Director
Film & TV History
Feb 11 Uri Geller purchases Lamb Island, Scotland, previously known for its witch trials
- Feb 12 40th NAACP Image Awards: "The Secret Life of Bees" wins Outstanding Motion Picture
- Feb 21 29th Golden Raspberry Awards: "The Love Guru" wins
- Feb 22 81st Academy Awards: "Slumdog Millionaire", Sean Penn & Kate Winslet win
Academy Awards
Feb 22 Heath Ledger posthumously wins Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor, for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight"
WrestleMania
Apr 5 WrestleMania XXV, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX (72,744): The Undertaker defeats Shawn Michaels; John Cena beats Edge and The Big Show; Triple H downs Randy Orton
Film Premiere
Apr 6 "Star Trek" film reboot directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto premieres in Austin, Texas
Television Debut
Apr 9 Mockumentary "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman and Aziz Ansari debuts on NBC in the US
Murder of Interest
Apr 13 US record producer Phil Spector is found guilty of second-degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003
Film & TV History
Apr 25 Elijah Wood is honored with the Midnight Award by the San Francisco International Film Festival
- Apr 26 55th British Academy Television Awards: "Harry and Paul" Best Comedy, "Wallander" Best Drama
Film & TV History
May 15 "Farrah's Story" documentary following Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer airs on NBC in the US
- May 17 Video game Minecraft is first released to the public while in development
Television Premiere
May 19 TV musical show "Glee" starring Jane Lynch, Michael Morrison, Lea Michele and an ensemble cast premieres on Fox
Film Release
Jun 19 "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" directed by Michael Bay and starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox is released
Film Release
Jul 1 Animated film "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" directed by Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thurmeieris with voices by Ray Romano and John Leguizamo is released
Film Release
Jul 15 "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the 6th film based on the books by J. K. Rowling is released worldwide
- Jul 23 42nd San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center
- Sep 2 66th Venice Film Festival: "Lebanon" directed by Samuel Maoz wins Golden Lion
Film & TV History
Sep 14 David Attenborough and Prince William officially open the Darwin Centre at the National History Museum London, in what is the Museum's most significant expansion since 1881
- Sep 18 The 72 year run of the soap opera The Guiding Light ends as its final episode is broadcast.
Toronto Film Festival
Sep 19 34th Toronto International Film Festival: "Precious" directed by Lee Daniels wins the People's Choice Award
Emmy Awards
Sep 20 61st Emmy Awards: Mad Men, 30 Rock, Bryan Cranston & Glenn Close win
Television Premiere
Sep 22 Crime drama "NCIS LA" starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, and Daniela Ruah premieres on CBS
Television Premiere
Sep 23 TV comedy "Modern Family" premieres on ABC, starring Ed 'Neill and Sofia Vergara
- Oct 21 55th National Film Awards (India): "Kanchivaram" wins the Golden Lotus
Film Premiere
Nov 16 "The Twilight Saga: New Moon", based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, directed by Chris Weitz, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premieres in Los Angeles
Theatrical Finale
Dec 6 Final Broadway performance of "A Steady Rain", starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig
- Dec 11 Angry Birds, a Finnish puzzle video game released internationally
Film Release
Dec 18 James Cameron's "Avatar" starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, released in the US, becomes highest-grossing film of all time
Theater Premiere
Dec 28 Scarlett Johansson makes her debut on Broadway in the Arthur Miller play "A View from the Bridge"