In anticipation of the 72nd Golden Globes this Sunday (January 11, 5p.m. on NBC), we’ve compiled 11 fun facts, historical tidbits, and talked-about moments in the awards show's history. Get ready to impress the guests at your viewing party….
Eddie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mike Todd in 1958—the year that Sinatra and friends changed the Globes for good.
1. It’s the Most Laid-Back Awards Show: Unlike the other major awards shows, the Golden Globes allows celebrities to freely sit, mingle, and sip booze all night. Basically, it’s just one big star-studded party.
2. The First Globes Presenters Weren’t Who You Think They Were: The first Golden Globe awards were actually presented by journalists. During the 1958 ceremony, Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. took over the stage and wowed the crowd. The rest was history.
3. The Golden Globes Didn’t Make it Out of LA Until the Mid-60's: The very first telecasts of the Globes (1958-1963) were only aired locally. It wasn’t until 1964 that the Globes aired nationally during a special edition of The Andy Williams Show.
4. The Biggest Winner is No Surprise: Is there anything Meryl Streep can’t do? The revered star not only holds the record for the most nominations—a whopping 28—she’s also the biggest winner with eight awards to her name.
5. The Raunchiest Memory: Mix booze and celebrities and you’re in for a few surprises. Case in point: Jack Nicholson famously mooned the audience during the 1999 ceremony.
6. The Three-Way Tie: A tie is rare, but a three-way tie is unheard of. The only one in Golden Globes history happened in 1989 when Jodie Foster, Shirley MacLaine, and Sigourney Weaver all won for Best Actress.
7. The Powder Room Moment: Both Christine Lahti (1998) and Renee Zellweger (2001) were embarrassingly in the bathroom when their awards were announced.
8. Past Mr./Miss Golden Globes: Selecting a star’s son or daughter to help out at the awards as Miss or Mr. Golden Globe has been a long-standing tradition. Past honorees have included Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore), Melanie Griffith (daughter of Tippi Hendren), and Dakota Johnson (daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith). This year’s Miss Golden Globe is Greer Grammer (daughter of Kelsey Grammer).
9. The Venue Has Been the Same Since the 60's: Rich with old Hollywood history, the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s opulent International Ballroom has been the home of the Golden Globes since 1961.
10. The Biggest Splash: After winning an award for Best Performance by an Actress at the 1999 ceremony, Angelina Jolie jumped into the hotel’s Aqua Star Pool to celebrate—still wearing her gown, no less.
11. The Other Golden Globes: One of the most buzzed-about lines in Golden Globes’ history came from Bette Midler in 1980 when she held her breasts and said, “I’ll show you a pair of Golden Globes!”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HULTON ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES