Film History by Decade
Select one of the decade sections below for movie history, or select an individual year (see Greatest Films - by Year). If you're interested in the history of film by genre type, visit the section on Film Genres , or by non-genre film category, visit the section on Non-Genre Film Categories.
See also the extensive year-by-year Timeline of Influential Film History Milestones and Turning Points , Film Milestones in Visual and Special Effects (illustrated), and The Most Controversial Films of All-Time (illustrated).
Herein is a series of web articles/pages to provide a comprehensive survey of the history of cinema (motion pictures, film, etc.) - the greatest entertainment art form of the 20th century.
Pre-1900s Film History Milestones:
Up To 1889
Pre-1900s Film History Milestones:
1890-1899
1900s Film History Milestones:
1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909
1910s Film History Milestones:
1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919
The Greatest Films of the Pre-1920s:
1902 | 1903 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1919
History of Sex in Cinema:
Historical Overview | Pre-1920s
Movie Title Screens:
(1900-1919)
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
Silent Era
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
Silents
1920s Film History Milestones:
1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929
The Greatest Films of the 1920s:
1920 |
1921 | 1922 | 1923
| 1924 | 1925 |
1926 | 1927 | 1928
| 1929
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1920s
Greatest Silent Films
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30
Best Picture Milestones (late 1920s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1920-1926 | 1927-1929
Movie Title Screens:
(1920-1929)
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s
Great Film Quotes - 1920s-1930s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
Silent Era
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1920s-1930s
1930s Film History Milestones:
1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939
The Greatest Films of the 1930s:
1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1930s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939
Best Picture Milestones (1930s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1930-1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934-1937 | 1938-1939
Movie Title Screens:
(1930-1939)
Great Film Quotes - 1920s-1930s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1910s-1930s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1930s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1920s-1930s
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1930s
1940s Film History Milestones:
1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949
The Greatest Films of the 1940s:
1940
| 1941 | 1942 | 1943
| 1944 | 1945 | 1946
| 1947 | 1948 | 1949
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1940s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949
Best Picture Milestones (1940s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1940-1944 | 1945-1949
Movie Title Screens:
(1940-1949)
Great Film Quotes - 1940s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1940s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1940s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1940s
1950s Film History Milestones:
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
The Greatest Films of the 1950s:
1950
| 1951 | 1952 | 1953
| 1954 | 1955 | 1956
| 1957 | 1958 | 1959
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1950s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
Best Picture Milestones (1950s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1950-1954 | 1955-1956 | 1957-1959
Movie Title Screens:
(1950-1959)
Great Film Quotes - 1950s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1950s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1950s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1950s
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1950 -1959
1960s Film History Milestones:
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
The Greatest Films of the 1960s:
1960
| 1961 | 1962 | 1963
| 1964 | 1965 | 1966
| 1967 | 1968 | 1969
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1960s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
Best Picture Milestones (1960s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1960-1961 | 1962-1963 | 1964 | 1965-1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969
Movie Title Screens:
(1960-1969)
Great Film Quotes - 1960s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1960s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1960s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1960s
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1960 -1966 , 1967-1969
1970s Film History Milestones:
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
The Greatest Films of the 1970s:
1970
| 1971 | 1972 | 1973
| 1974 | 1975 | 1976
| 1977 | 1978 | 1979
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1970s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
Best Picture Milestones (1970s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979
Movie Title Screens:
(1970-1979)
Great Film Quotes - 1970s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1970s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1970s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1970s
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1970-1974 , 1975-1977, 1978-1979
1980s Film History:
Teen-Oriented Angst Films, and the Dawn of the
Sequel, With More Blockbusters
1980s Film History Milestones:
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
The Greatest Films of the 1980s:
1980
| 1981 | 1982 | 1983
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986
| 1987 | 1988 | 1989
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1980s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
Best Picture Milestones (1980s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985-1 | 1985-2 | 1986-1 | 1986-2 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989
Great Film Quotes - 1980s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1980s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1980s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1980s-1 1980s-2 1980s-3
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1980 , 1981, 1982, 1983-1984, 1985-1986, 1987-1989
1990s Film History Milestones:
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
The Greatest Films of the 1990s:
1990
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 1990s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Best Picture Milestones (1990s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
1990 | 1991 | 1992-1 | 1992-2 | 1993 | 1994-1 | 1994-2 | 1995-1 | 1995-2 | 1996-1 | 1996-2 | 1997-1 | 1997-2 | 1998-1 | 1998-2 | 1999-1 | 1999-2
Great Film Quotes - 1990s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 1990s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 1990s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 1990s-1 1990s-2
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
1990-1991 , 1992-1994, 1995
- 1, 1995 - 2, 1996-1997, 1998, 1999
2000s Film History Milestones:
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
The Greatest Films of the 2000s:
2000
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2000s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Best Picture Milestones (2000s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
2000-1 | 2000-2 | 2001-1 | 2001-2 | 2002-1 | 2002-2 | 2003-1 | 2003-2 | 2004-1 | 2004-2 | 2005-1 | 2005-2 | 2006-1 | 2006-2 | 2007-1 | 2007-2 | 2008 | 2009
Great Film Quotes - 2000s
Greatest Last Film Lines: 2000s
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 2000s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 2000s-1 2000s-2
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
2000 , 2001
- 1, 2001 - 2, 2002
- 1, 2002 - 2, 2002
- 3, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007-2011
2010s Film History:
Major Changes in the Film-Making Industry
2010s Film History Milestones:
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015,
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
The Greatest Films of the 2010s:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2010s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
2010, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2014,
2015, 2016 ,
2017,
2018,
2019
Best Picture Milestones (2010s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
Movie Title Screens:
(2010-2019)
The Most Influential Films in American Cinema:
The 2010s
Greatest Movie Props in Film History: 2010s
Greatest Film Flops, Disasters, Bombs:
2007-2011 , 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2018-2019, 2020-2021
The 2020s:
Film History
2020s Film History:
2020s Film History Milestones:
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
The Greatest Films of the 2020s:
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Decade (and by Year) of the 2020s
Academy Awards Winners (and History):
2020, 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , 2024 , 2025 , 2026
Best Picture
Milestones (2020s)
History of Sex in Cinema:
2020 , 2021 , 2022
Movie Title Screens:
(2020-2029)
Biographical Films ("Biopics")
Melodramas or Women's "Weepers"
Greatest Classic Chase Scenes in Films (illustrated)
Funniest Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)
Greatest Film Speeches and Monologues (illustrated)
Best Film Editing Sequences (illustrated)
Greatest Plot Twists, Spoilers, and Surprise Endings (illustrated)
Greatest Disaster Film Scenes (illustrated)
Greatest Movie Entrances of All-Time (illustrated)
Greatest Crowd Film Scenes (illustrated)
Scariest Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)
Greatest Movie Death Scenes (illustrated)
Greatest Tearjerker Films, Moments and Scenes (illustrated)
Greatest Musical Song/Dance Movie Moments and Scenes (illustrated)
Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses of All Time (illustrated)
History of Sex in Cinema: The Greatest and Most Influential Erotic / Sexual Films and Scenes (illustrated)
Alfred Hitchcock's Memorable Cameo Appearances (illustrated)
Academy Awards (Oscars) History
Visual and Special Effects Milestones in Film History (illustrated)
Robots in Film (a comprehensive illustrated history)
Greatest James Bond Girls (illustrated)
Ranked (and Reviewed) James Bond Films
The Star Wars Saga: Reviewed and Ranked
Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters, and Flops
Filmsite's Top 100 Films (by Genre Category)
The Most Controversial Films of All-Time (illustrated)
Sexiest Films of All-Time (illustrated)
Greatest Femmes Fatales in Classic Film Noir (illustrated)
Greatest Film Series-Franchises of All-Time (illustrated)
Greatest War Films (illustrated)
Most Influential Films in American Cinema
Star Wars Films - Reviewed and Ranked (illustrated)
50 States: Most Authentic and Famous Films
Greatest Movie Props in Film History (illustrated)
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