Daniel Day-Lewis has made Oscars history by becoming the first person to win the best actor prize three times. The British-born star, who had been the runaway favourite, was rewarded for his role in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. "I really don't know how any of this happened. I do know I've received much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life," he said. Ben Affleck's Iran-set rescue thriller Argo won the prize for best picture. In a live broadcast from the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama joined Jack Nicholson to help present the best picture prize at the end of the night. Argo is the first best picture winner not to have a concurrent nomination for best director since 1989's Driving Miss Daisy. But despite Affleck's omission from the best director category, the film had been widely-tipped to take the top prize. Oscars host Seth MacFarlane joked at the start of the ceremony: "Argo's story is so top-secret that its director remains unknown to the Academy." Accepting his award alongside fellow producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Affleck paid tribute to the "genius" Steven Spielberg who lost out in the same category. Referring to his previous Oscar success with 1997's Good Will Hunting, he said: "I never thought I would be back here and I am because of so many of you who are here tonight". He added: "It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, all that matters is that you get up". The Oscar victory for Daniel Day-Lewis puts him ahead of Hollywood legends Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks - who all have two best actor wins to their name. Day-Lewis, who holds UK-Irish citizenship, previously won for My Left Foot (in 1990) and There Will Be Blood (2008) and has a reputation for immersing himself in his roles. His breakthrough role was in 1985 British drama My Beautiful Laundrette and his other films include The Last Of The Mohicans, The Age Of Innocence and A Room With A View. Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for best actress for her role as a troubled young widow in Silver Linings Playbook. The 22-year-old actress, who stumbled over her dress on her way to the stage, joked: "You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell over and that's embarrassing." Surveying the huge audience in the Dolby Theatre, she added: "This is nuts." It was the first Oscar win for Lawrence, who was previously nominated for best actress in 2011 for her performance in Winter's Bone. Anne Hathaway won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as tragic factory worker Fantine in movie musical Les Miserables. With her cropped hair and gaunt face, Hathaway's teary version of I Dreamed a Dream had made her an Oscar favourite. "It came true," the actress said when she collected her statuette. Hathaway's Oscar was her first, the actress having been previously nominated in 2008 for Rachel Getting Married.