1902: Georges Méliès introduced innovative special effects in the first science fiction film, "Le Voyage Dans La Lune", aka "A Trip to the Moon". This 14-minute film is often cited as the first film to contain a plot. Also in 1902, Tally's Electric Theater became the first permanent building designed specifically for showing movies when it opened in Los Angeles.

1903: Edwin S. Porter directed and filmed "The Great Train Robbery". This 12-minute film was the first to use a number of modern film techniques, such as multiple camera positions, filming out of sequence and later editing the scenes into their proper order. 1903 was also the year that Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality.

1904: Marcus Loew founded Loews Theatres, which became the longest lasting theater chain in the U.S. The name lasted until January 26, 2006, when Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation was bought by, and merged into, AMC Entertainment Inc.

1905: The invention of Cooper Hewitt mercury lamps made it practical to shoot films indoors without sunlight. Also in 1905, the American entertainment trade journal "Variety" began publication and published its first movie review in 1907.

The Nickelodeon: The Nickelodeon is not just a channel on TV. Nickelodeon was the name given to small, family owned and operated, movie houses. These theaters usually had less than 200 seats. The name was derived from the cost of admission (a nickel) and the Greek word for theater (odeon). The first Nickelodeon was opened in June, 1905, by Harry and John Davis in Pittsburgh. They dubbed it a nickelodeon and their opening feature was "The Great Train Robbery".

1908: The first color film was made and named "A Visit To The Seaside". The film was 8 minutes long.

1909: The typical film was still only or ten to twelve minutes in length, and the actors were anonymous. The New York Times started calling the leading actors, "stars" and published its first movie review. Meanwhile, Comedian Ben Turpin received mention in a trade journal, and so became the first American film actor known to have his name published.

1910: Director D.W. Griffith made the first film in Hollywood, "In Old California".

1911: The first US "feature film" was released when the two parts of D. W. Griffith's "Enoch Arden" were shown together. The two parts became a two-reel featurette, which marked another industry first.

1912: Director Enrico Guazzoni's "Quo Vadis?" was released and was one of the first movies over two hours in legth. The same year, "Oliver Twist" was released and became the first US feature film to last over an hour. Also in 1912, "Hollywood"'s name was formally adopted and it replaced the East Coast as the center of the growing movie industry.

1913: The very first episode of the first cliff-hanger serial was released - "The Adventures of Kathlyn".

1914: The first Charlie Chaplin film, "Making a Living", was released. Also in 1914, the first feature-length color film, "The World, the Flesh, and the Devil", premiered in London and Paramount Pictures was founded in Los Angeles

1915:Richard A. Rowland and Louis B. Mayer formed Metro Pictures Corporation.

1916: Samuel Goldfish (he later changed his name to Goldwyn) and Edgar Selwyn established Goldwyn Company.

1917: Louis B. Mayer founded the Louis B. Mayer Pictures Company.

1918: The four Warner brothers opened their first West Coast studio.

1919: Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford formed United Artists in order try and control their own work.

1921: D.W. Griffith's film "Dream Street" was released. It is thought to be the first feature film to use sound.

1922: The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) was created. It was later renamed the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

1923: The Warner brothers incorporated their business and named it, Warner Brothers Pictures Inc. Also in 1923, The Hollywood sign was built. The original sign said Hollywoodland.

1924: MGM studio was formed out of the merger of Metro Pictures (1915), Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (1916) (known as Metro-Goldwyn) and the Louis B. Mayer Pictures Company (1917). The MGM lion was first introduced at this time, but it didn't roar (or couldn't) until "White Shadows of the South Seas" was released in 1928. Also in 1924, Columbia Pictures Corporation was formed from C.B.C. Film Sales Company, which had been founded by brothers Jack and Harry Cohn, and Joseph Brandt.

1925: The first in-flight movie, "The Lost World", was shown during a 30-minute flight in England.

1927: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was founded. 1927 was also the year that motion picture film became standardized at 24 frames per second (fps) and Grauman's Chinese Theater opened in Hollywood. The restaurant would become famous for its sidewalk with stars' imprints. Also in 1927, "The Jazz Singer", was released. It is generally considered the first feature-length 'talkie' movie.

1928: The first Mickey Mouse film, "Plane Crazy", was released.

1929: 1929 was another year of firsts. The first Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929, to honor films made in 1927 and 1928. The first Marx Brothers movie, "Cocoanuts" was released. The first full-length motion picture with both sound and color, "On With the Show", was released. And Walt Disney Productions was formed.

1930: The earliest talking 'Looney Tune', The black and white cartoon, "Sinkin' in the Bathtub", was released.

1933: Theaters began to open refreshment stands, the Screen Writers Guild was formed, and the first drive-in theater , the Camden Drive-In, opened in Pennsauken, New Jersey with the showing of "Wives Beware".

1935: Century Pictures and Fox Film merged and became 20th Century-Fox.

1938: Bugs Bunny appears for the first time in "Porky's Hare Hunt".

1939 Television was formally introduced at the New York World's Fair in Queens and RCA unveiled a display of its first TV sets for sale to the American public.

1940: Disney's "Fantasia" was released and introduced stereo-like, multi-channel soundtrack. 1940 was also the year "agents" began for the first time to collect creative talent and stories in exchange for a percentage of a film's profits.

1944: Paramount broadcasted the first TV ad for a movie.

1946: The first Cannes Film Festival was held.

1948: The Supreme Court ruled in a decision against Paramount that the major movie studios had to end their monopolization of the industry and they were forced to divest themselves from owning theater chains. Prior to this time, most movie theaters were owned by the movie studios.

1949: Paramount signed a consent decree to separate its production and distribution activities. Loew's (MGM), 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers were also ordered to divest themselves of their theaters.

Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) was reportedly paid $11 million for her role in Alien: Resurrection (1997), which was as much as the total estimated $11 million production cost of the original Alien (1979). Webmasters: place our "Movie Trivia of the Day" on your site

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