Timeline of major beauty pageants
Encyclopedia
Pre 1900s
- early 19th century: Bathing Beauty Pageant of Rehoboth Beach, DelawareRehoboth Beach, DelawareRehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
begin. - 1854: P.T. Barnum was the man behind the first American pageant.
1920s
- 1921: Gimmick by Atlantic City hotel owners desire to stage a Fall festival to encourage tourism past Labor DayLabor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
.- The festival includes a National Beauty Pageant Tournament (NBPT)
- Newspapers editors are invited to run photo contest to pick winners to represent their counties at the new pageant
- Eight contestants compete.
- Margaret GormanMargaret GormanMargaret Gorman is best known for being the first Miss America, from the year 1921.-Miss America:At age 16, Gorman was chosen as "Miss Washington, D.C." due to her athletic ability, past accomplishments, and outgoing personality...
a 16-year-old from Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
is the winner. - Starting a the tradition of the bond between pageantry and the film industry she is said to be a dead ringer for matinee star Mary PickfordMary PickfordMary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
- 1923: *The popularity of the NBPT increases to 70 contestants.
- Mary Katherine CampbellMary Katherine CampbellMary Katherine Campbell was the only person to win the Miss America pageant twice. Campbell was Miss America 1922 and Miss America 1923, and she was also First Runner Up at the 1924 Miss America Pageant...
wins the NBPT for a second time enacting a rule that the title can not be held more than twice. - Controversy ensues as NBPT officials forget to install a "no marriage" rule and discover that contestant Helmar Leiderman is not only married but a resident of a state different from the one she was representing.
- Mary Katherine Campbell
- 1929: NBPT is discontinued from 1929-1932 due to the effects of the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and negative press.
1930s
- 1932: Wildwood, New JerseyWildwood, New JerseyWildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a popular summer resort destination. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's year-round population was 5,325...
hold a pageant where Dorothy HannDorothy HannDorothy Hann was Miss America in 1932.Hann, from Camden, New Jersey was the first Miss America "crowned" since 1927 see . The pageant was held in Wildwood, New Jersey instead of the traditional Atlantic City. On the Miss America website it states that no pageant was held in 1932...
wins before over 50,00 spectators
- 1934: NBPT is revived under new management and a new name, "The Variety Showman's Jubilee"
- Marian BergeronMarian BergeronMarian Bergeron was Miss America in 1933.Bergeron, from West Haven, Connecticut, won the crown as the pageant returned to Atlantic City, New Jersey after a five year hiatus see...
a 15-year-old is the winner - Controversy ensues when it is learned that she is underage.
- She is disqualified but her crown is stolen from her hotel just hours after her crowning.
- The contest is cancelled due to financial troubles.
- Marian Bergeron
- 1935: Lenora Slaughter starts a new pageant.
- Reflecting the nation's fascination with Hollywood the contest adds a talent competition
- Winners receive a professional screen test.
- Silver screenSilver screenA silver screen, also known as a silver lenticular screen, is a type of projection screen that was popular in the early years of the motion picture industry and passed into popular usage as a metonym for the cinema industry...
agents representing moguls like Howard HughesHoward HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
scout for potential starlets. - Dorothy LamourDorothy LamourDorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
a 1935 contestant later co-stars in Bob HopeBob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
's Road to film series.
- 1937: Controversy ensues as Belle Cooper disappears with her bachelor chaperon Lou Off
- A state wide police search is launched only to reveal the Bette and Off had just returned to her hometown so as to attend school.
1940s
- 1942: Lenora Slaughter's pageant is threatened during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but in continues in the idea that pageants are good for the American spirit.
- 1945: In ironic historical coincidence Bess MyersonBess MyersonBess Myerson became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant in 1945. She appeared on various television shows in the 1950s and 1960s...
becomes the first Jewish woman to win a national pageant shortly after World War II along with a first ever pageant scholarship award of $5,000
- 1947: Barbara Jo WalkerBarbara Jo WalkerBarbara Jo Walker Hummel was Miss America in 1947.She was the last Miss America to be crowned in her bathing suit; all since 1947 have beencrowned in their evening gowns see ....
becomes the first national beauty queen to marry during her reign.
- 1948: Reporters attempt to boycott as it is announced that one pageants winners will be crowned in a modern gown rather than the traditional bathing suit.
- As a concession runner-ups pose in swimsuits while Bebe Shopp is crowned in a gown.
1950s
- 1950: Yolande BetbezeYolande BetbezeYolande Betbeze Fox was Miss America in 1951.Fox entered Miss Alabama for the scholarship opportunities the pageant presented...
refuses to pose in a swimsuit insisting that she is a classical singer not a pin-up.- CatalinaCatalina- Geography :* Catalina, Arizona* Cătălina, Romania** Catalina, Covasna, Romania* Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur* Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental* Catalina, Newfoundland and Labrador* Santa Catalina Mountains...
swimwear a major pageant sponsor quits and starts planning its own pageants.
- Catalina
- 1951: With the popularity of American pageants the Festival of Brittan hold a pageant with the slogan 'Beauty with a Purpose".
- Variety Clubs International joins them in order to raise funds for world charities
- Kiki Haakonson from SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
is the winner.
- 1952: 30 women compete in Long Beach, CA for a new American pageant.
- This title is won by Jackie Laugherty of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - 29 women compete in a new international pageant
- This title is won by Armi Kuvsela of Finland.
- Reigniting pageants connection to the silver screen actress Piper LauriePiper LauriePiper Laurie is an American actress of stage and screen known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks and the films The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, all of which brought her Academy Award nominations...
crown the Armi.
- This title is won by Jackie Laugherty of New York
- 1953: The CoronationCoronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II worldwide royal mania which popularizes public idolization of pageantry and royalty...enter the "American Queens".
- 1954: First live coast-to-coast pageant is broadcast.
- Lee Meriweather is awarded the crown.
- Movie queen Grace KellyGrace KellyGrace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
is a judge. - Songwriter, Bernie Wayne, of Blue VelvetBlue VelvetBlue Velvet is a 1986 American mystery film written and directed by David Lynch. The movie exhibits elements of both film noir and surrealism. The film features Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern. The title is taken from the 1963 Bobby Vinton song of the same name...
fame composes a song in the pageant's honor.
- 1957: Controversy ensues as Leona Gage resigns after her mother-in-law informs the press that 18-year-old Gage is married and the mother of two children.
- Leon explains that she entered into the pageant to earn money to support her husbands military salary.
- 1958: Mobile, AlabamaMobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
's Azalea contest is expanded into a scholarship program to recognize outstanding achievement by high school seniors.- The contestants are judged on their talent, poise, community service, and school grades.
- Phyllis Whitenack of West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
is the winner. - She later graduates from the University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
- 1959: Miss IndiaMiss IndiaMiss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co...
pageant is held with Fleur EzekielFleur EzekielFleur Ezekiel was an Indian model who was crowned Miss India World 1959. She was Indian of Jewish ancestry, descending from a Bene Israel family. She has one younger brother, Noel Ezekiel. She was an Indian pioneer who brought India into the spotlight after becoming the first Indian to participate...
as the winner.
1960s
- 1960: CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
begins televising pageants.- Corrine Huff becomes the first black woman to compete in a major national pageant.
- 1962: Miss Haiti Evelyn Moit becomes the first black woman to make an international semi-finals.
- 1963: Diane SawyerDiane SawyerLila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
from KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
wins pageant title.- She attends Wellesley College
- She works as an aid for U.S. President Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
- She becomes an anchor of Prime Time Live and one of the highest paid female anchors in television history.
- Donna AxumDonna AxumDonna Axum was crowned Miss America in 1964.Axum from El Dorado, Arkansas, now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a member of the boards of the National Committee for the Performing Arts of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Fort Worth Symphony, the Van Cliburn Foundation, named for the...
another pageant winner is in Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
when President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
is assassinated.
- 1965: Conjoined USA and Universe pageants split with Apasra HongsakulaApasra HongsakulaApasra Hongsakula is a Thai beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 1965. She is the daughter of Group Captain "Perm" and Kayoon Hongsakula...
from ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Sue DowneySue DowneySue Ann Downey is a former model and beauty queen from Columbus, Ohio who has held the Miss USA title and competed in the Miss Universe pageant.Downey won the Miss Ohio USA title and then the Miss USA 1965 title...
from OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
winning receptively.
- late 1960s: Pageants are now broadcast in color.
- 1966: Pageant contestants travel to VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
to entertain servicemen with Bob Hope.- This starts another pageant tradition.
- 1967: Sylvia HitchcockSylvia HitchcockSylvia Louise Hitchcock-Carson is a pageant titleholder who held the Miss USA 1967 and Miss Universe 1967 titles.Hitchcock was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts and grew up on a chicken farm in Miami, Florida. She attended Palmetto High School, Miami-Dade Junior College and studied art at the...
becomes the first AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in seven years to win an international title.- She does so representing AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
where she attends school instead of her hometown of Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
- She does so representing Alabama
- 1967: The Woman's Liberation Front protest pageants.
- Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
riot squad respond in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. - Protesters infiltrate Convention HallConvention HallConvention Hall was a convention center in Kansas City, Missouri that hosted the 1900 Democratic National Convention and 1928 Republican National Convention.It was designed by Frederick E...
during pageant's taping while Judith FordJudith FordJudi Nash [née Judith Anne Ford] is a retired teacher who was Miss America 1969. Ford qualified to compete in the Miss America pageant by winning first the title of Miss Boone County and then the Miss Illinois pageant...
from IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
wins.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- 1968: Miss Black AmericaMiss Black AmericaThe Miss Black America pageant is a competition for young African American women in areas such as speech, talent, style, and poise — it is essentially the black version of the popular Miss America pageant. In 2009 the pageant had its "kick off" in Washington, D.C. to rebrand the competition...
Pageant is held in Atlantic City to protest the absence of black women in the Miss America Pageant.
1970s
- 1970: In a historical coincidence, Cheryl Browne an African-American wins the IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
title in the Miss America franchise soon after the formation of the Miss Black America Pageant.- She does not make the semi-finals.
- Phyllis GeorgePhyllis GeorgePhyllis Ann George Brown is an American businesswoman, actress and a former sportscaster. She is a former Miss Texas and Miss America of 1971.- Early life :...
from TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is crowned the winner. - A specialty golden 50th anniversary crown crashes to the floor during her crowning splattering rhinestones along the runway.
- 1971: Another scholarship pageant is started in Atlanta
- Sharon McLarty of MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
wins
- Sharon McLarty of Mississippi
- 1973: First live international pageant is broadcast worldwide via satellite from the ParthenonParthenonThe Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
in Athens, Greece
- 1974: Philippine, First LadyFirst LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
, Imelda MarcosImelda MarcosImelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
spares no expense to host an international pageant even calling in the military to seed monsoonMonsoonMonsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
clouds to prevent an approaching typhoon.- Amparo MunozAmparo MuñozAmparo Muñoz Quesada was a Spanish actress who, in 1974, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard to win the Miss Universe pageant.-Miss Universe 1974:Amparo Muñoz came from the town of Vélez-Málaga, Andalusia,...
from SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
wins
- Amparo Munoz
- 1977: In a racial breakthrough Janelle CommissiongJanelle CommissiongJanelle Commissiong was born in Trinidad and Tobago. Commissiong migrated to the United States at the age of 13, and returned to Trinidad and Tobago ten years later...
of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
becomes the first black woman to win an international title.- The historic moment is televised live from Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
- The historic moment is televised live from Dominican Republic
- 1979: After an international pageant in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the stage collapses as 200 reporters and contestants rush forward to congratulate the winner Maritza SayaleroMaritza SayaleroMaritza Sayalero is a former beauty queen who was crowned Miss Venezuela in 1979 and became her country's first Miss Universe titleholder...
of VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.- Two people are hospitalized.
1980s
- 1980: A pageant program honoring teen excellence is founded.
- Susan McDonald is the first winner.
- In a pageant that had never crowned a black woman Lenola Sullivan from ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
goes further than any of her preprocessors by placing in the top five and winning the swimsuit competition. - Shawn Nichols Weatherly from South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
becomes the first American in thirteen years to win another competitions triple crown becoming an international winner.
- 1983: CBS televises its first teen pageant from Lakeland, FloridaLakeland, FloridaLakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
- The winner is Ruth ZakarianRuth ZakarianRuth Zakarian was the winner of the first ever Miss Teen USA pageant, held in 1983 in Lakeland, Florida. She went on to compete in Miss USA 1984 as Miss Teen USA 1983.-Miss Teen USA:...
of New York. - Miss America Finally crowns an African American, Vanessa WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
.
- The winner is Ruth Zakarian
- 1984: After a scandal the runner up from 1983 Suzette CharlesSuzette CharlesSuzette Charles is an American singer and entertainer.-Career:Born in Mays Landing, she represented New Jersey in the 1983 Miss America pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
takes Vanessa Williams crown.- Yet another teen pageant is founded Debbie Brooks of Modesto, CaliforniaModesto, CaliforniaModesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
wins the title. - Mai ShanleyMai ShanleyMai Therese Shanley , Miss New Mexico USA, Miss USA 1984, is a former beauty queen. Her mother is ethnically Taiwanese and is from Taiwan, while her father is Irish American....
of Philippine and IrishIrish peopleThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
parentage becomes the first Eurasian winner of Miss USA. - Laura Martinez Herring a naturalized Mexican-American and Deborah Carthy-DeuDeborah Carthy-DeuDeborah Fátima Carthy-Deu in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She became the second Miss Universe from Puerto Rico. The contest was held at James L. Knight Center of Miami, Florida on July 15, 1985.-Early years:...
of Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
become the first Hispanics to win major titles.
- Yet another teen pageant is founded Debbie Brooks of Modesto, California
- 1985: Mrs. WorldMrs. WorldMrs. World is an international beauty pageant organized annually as a beauty contest for married women. It is originally based on the Mrs. America beauty pageant. Arranged on lines similar to other beauty pageants, it also lays stress on women's opinion on marriage...
is founded.- Rosie Senanayake of Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
wins.
- Rosie Senanayake of Sri Lanka
- 1986: Miss Black USA PageantMiss Black USA PageantThe Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant is a national scholarship competition for young African-American women that was founded in 1986 by Karen Arrington. It is a non-profit corporation in the state of Maryland, recognized under the 5013 code of the Internal Revenue Service. In 2007, over eighty...
is started by Karen Arrington.- Another pageant Mrs. United States is founded with Sharon Kirkby as the winner.
- A pageant television series Dream Girl USA is cancelled after only one season.
- Laurelle BrooksLaurelle MehusLaurelle Brooks Mehus, also known as Laurelle Brooks and Laurelle Mehus, is an American model and actress.-Overview:Under the name Laurelle Brooks, she worked as a model doing pictorials in and on the covers of local and national magazines along with national commercials in Chicago, Illinois...
was asked to be one of the contestant of Dream Girl USA and to return for the final show.
- 1987: Kaye Lani Rae RafkoKaye Lani Rae RafkoKaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson is the winner of the 1988 Miss America Pageant. She is from Monroe, Michigan where a street is now named for her....
an oncologyOncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
nurse from MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
wins a title.- She voluntarily devotes part of her year to advocating hospice care promoting the nursing platform and setting a new precedent of social activism for title holders allowing them to be role models of public service.
- The first Miss Black USA PageantMiss Black USA PageantThe Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant is a national scholarship competition for young African-American women that was founded in 1986 by Karen Arrington. It is a non-profit corporation in the state of Maryland, recognized under the 5013 code of the Internal Revenue Service. In 2007, over eighty...
is held at the J.W. Marriot hotel in Washington D.C. - Tamiko Gibson from MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
a University of MarylandUniversity of MarylandWhen the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
Broadcast JournalismBroadcast journalismBroadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
major is crowned.
- 1988: An American Pamela Nail of Mississippi wins Miss World for the first time.
- 1989: Mrs. InternationalMrs. International"Mrs. International" is the second single by hip hop artists Method Man & Redman from their album Blackout! 2. The track was leaked on April 3, 2009.-Music video:...
Pageant is founded crowning Rhonda Berglan of OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.- Richard Guy and Rex Holt founders of GuyRex, Inc have their fifth title winner in five years crowned with all of their winners coming from TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
- Richard Guy and Rex Holt founders of GuyRex, Inc have their fifth title winner in five years crowned with all of their winners coming from Texas
1990s
- 1990: RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
sends Evia Stalbovska of LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
as Miss USSR.- Finally Miss USA has an African American title holder Carol Gist of MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. - Ironically Debbie TurnerDebbie TurnerDebbie Turner is an American former child star who played the role of Marta von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music.-Life and career:...
, another African American, wins Miss America (the reign continues as another black woman Marjorie Vincent wins the following year). - Miss Black USA Pageant awards its first full tuition scholarship.
- Finally Miss USA has an African American title holder Carol Gist of Michigan
- 1991: Kathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee GiffordKathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
becomes the first full-fledged woman co-host.- Dr. Deborah Williams a practicing psychologist and mother from Texas becomes the first black woman to win a pageant for married women.
- After reports reveal that she was physically abused by her former fiancé a NFL player Carolyn Sapp achieves national recognition for her campaign against domestic violence making the cover of People magazine and starring in a film about her life.
- 1993: For the second time in history, black women hold two pageant title crowns simultaneously.
Kenya Moore
Kenya Moore
Kenya Summer Moore is an American film and television actress, producer, beauty queen, model and author.She is recognizable for her roles in movies such as Waiting to Exhale, Deliver Us from Eva and the 2007 Lindsay Lohan thriller I Know Who Killed Me...
and Kimberly Aiken.
-
- Charlotte Lopez wins viewers' hearts as they discover her story of her thirteen years as a foster child.
- Prime Time Live airs a feature on her life and she writes a book, "Lost in the System".
- 1994: Heather WhitestoneHeather WhitestoneHeather Leigh Whitestone McCallum is a former beauty queen who was the first deaf Miss America title holder, having lost most of her hearing at the age of 18 months.-Early life:...
wins a crown after performing a ballet to music while deaf and becomes the first physically handicapped woman to win a title.- Barbara WaltersBarbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
runs a special on her
- Barbara Walters
- One pageant decides to keep the swimsuit portion of their competition after putting it up to caller votes with 73% voting in favor of it.
- 1995: Just months after the Oklahoma City bombings, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
wins two titles.
- 1998: Nicole Johnson of VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
wins a title despite being a diabetic who wears an insulin pumpInsulin pumpThe insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy.The device includes:...
on her hip.- She becomes a champion of diabetes.
- 1999: BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
sends its first ever contestant to an international pageant Mpule KwelagobeMpule KwelagobeMpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Gaborone, Botswana was crowned Miss Universe in May 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago. Since being crowned Miss Universe 1999, Mpule has been recognized and honored as a human health rights activist, especially for her fight against HIV/AIDS and advocacy for youth and women to...
and she wins in stunning upset.- Another upset Ashley ColemanAshley ColemanAshley Coleman was Miss Teen USA 1999, representing her home city of Camden and the state of Delaware. She was the first delegate from Delaware to win the national title....
wins a teen title for DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
- Another upset Ashley Coleman
2000s
- 2001: Controversy ensues when David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
jokes that Andrea Noceti of ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
talent portion consisted of her swallowing 50 balloons of heroin.- She threatens to sue and he apologizes.
- Ilanit Levy an 18-year-old contestant from HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, a IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i soldier, if forced to wear a bulletproof vest at a pageant due to security concerns.
- 2002: Oksana Fyodorova a full time police lieutenant from St. Petersburg, Russia is stripped of her title for failing to fulfill her duties.
- At a pageant in NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
a predominantly MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
country at the time anti-pageant protest and rioting break out. - It is sparked when a female reporter suggests that IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
's ProphetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
might well have married on of the contestants. - Several hundred people are killed.
- The pageant is moved to London, England after several contestants leave the country due to security concerns.
- In another international pageant Christina SawayaChristina SawayaChristina Sawaya , born 16 August 1980, is a Lebanese beauty queen.As part of her modelling career, Christina entered a series of pageants between 1998 and 2002 in which she became the winner of "Miss University" Lebanon in 1998, and was chosen as "Top Lebanon Model 1999".In 2001, Sawaya competed...
of LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
pulls out stating that she will not compete in a pageant with IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's contestant Yamit Har-Noy causing further security concerns for this pageant. - Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
a 1986 runner-up wins the 2002 Academy Award for Best ActressBest ActressBest Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:-Film award:* Academy Award for Best Actress* Ariel Award for Best Actress...
in Monsters Ball maintaining the pageant film star connection.
- At a pageant in Nigeria
- 2003 Marilyn Van DerburMarilyn Van DerburMarilyn Van Derbur is the 1958 Miss America pageant holder.Van Derbur from Denver, Colorado, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Colorado...
publishes Miss America by Day, her account of growing up as a victim of sexual abuseSexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
and incestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
.
- 2004: ABC drops the Miss America Pageant.
- 2006: Danielle LloydDanielle LloydDanielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
is stripped of her title in Great Britain after allegations that she had been romantically involved with one of the judges, the Manchester United and England football star Teddy SheringhamTeddy SheringhamEdward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
, before the competition.- The controversy intensifies when she poses nude in PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine. - Legal action is brought against her for bringing the pageant into disrepute.
- More sexual controversy as Tara Connor is nearly stripped of her title after media reports surface of her engaging in underage drinking, lewd behavior, and other behavior issues.
- The controversy intensifies when she poses nude in Playboy
- 2009: Dr. Ian Smith partners with a pageant to start the 50 Million Pound Challenge to fight obesityObesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
in the African-American community.
2010s
- 2011: Another community minded pageant American SirenAmerican SirenAmerican Siren is a beauty contest started November 2010. It is an urban pageant offering a yearly cash prize, entertainment contracts, and scholarship assistance to the winners...
with a motto of; "A true pageant featuring the real beauty of a woman: Her ability to be both attractive and intelligent simultaneously capable of reconciling the role of C.E.O. and cover girl." is founded.- Solidifying the bond with Hollywood it is launched by Invision Filmworks.