At the very first Academy Awards in 1929, 'Wings' made history as the first movie to win Best Picture (then called 'Outstanding Picture'). It remains the only purely silent film to ever win the award. While 'The Artist' (2011) also won Best Picture and was primarily silent, it featured synchronized sound effects and a brief sequence of audible dialogue at the end, technically making it a 'part-talkie' throwback. 'Wings' was a massive production for its time, featuring real aerial dogfights and no CGI. Its win set the precedent for the Academy's love of technical spectacles and war epics, a trend that continues to this day.