Miss America Pageant
Miss America Pageant
Miss America pageant
The first Miss America pageant was held 90 years ago on Sept. 7, 1921 under a different name. With a tip of the tiara, we’re taking a look all the way back to 1980 to find out what happened to the pageant queens.
Miss America 1980
Cheryl Prewitt overcame a childhood tragedy to become Miss America.
Miss America 1981
Susan Powell was an opera singer.
Miss America 1982
Elizabeth Ward reportedly wore a gown made from a tablecloth and used her pageant money to study acting.
Miss America 1983
Debra Maffett had been in TV.
Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America before losing her crown due to anude photo scandal.
She married an NBA star (and later divorced him), and became a successful TV and movie actress (watch clips of her in “Ugly Betty”) and singer.
Suzette Charles took over Miss America duties after Vanessa Williams relinquished her crown.
She became an actress and singer and began a friendship with a controversial boxer.
Miss America 1985
Sharlene Wells was the only foreign-born Miss America and played the harp.
Miss America 1986
Miss Mississippi Susan Akin had to contend with her family’s connection to an infamous civil rights murder case. The case was turned into a movie.
Miss America 1987
Kellye Cash the grandniece of afamous country singer, was a singer like her great-uncle.
Miss America 1988
Kaye Lani Rae Rafko used her reign to advocate for hospice programs.
Miss America 1989
Gretchen Carlson was the first classical violinist to win the Miss America crown.
Miss America 1990
Debbye Turner was the first Miss Missouri to win the title and played the marimba.
Miss America 1991
Marjorie Vincent played the piano for her talent and campaigned against domestic violence.
Miss America 1992
Carolyn Sapp, the first Miss Hawaii to wear the crown, starred in a TV movie about her relationship with an abusive boyfriend.
Miss America 1993
Leanza Cornett was the first Miss America to campaign for awareness of this illness and refused to wear her crown in public.
Miss America 1994
Kimberly Aiken won when she was only 18 years old and advocated for the homeless.
Miss America 1995
Heather Whitestone became the first deaf Miss America.
Miss America 1996
Shawntel Smith was Miss Oklahoma, and her platform was getting high school students to work after graduation.
Miss America 1997
Tara Dawn Holland was an advocate for literacy and a singer.
Miss America 1998
Kate Shindle used her platform toadvocate for AIDS prevention around the world.
Miss America 1999
Nicole Johnson, who has diabetes, advocated for diabetes education during her time as Miss America.
Miss America 2000
Heather French, the first Miss Kentucky to win the crown, advocated for homeless veterans.
Miss America 2001
Angela Perez Baraquio was the first Asian-American to wear the crown.
Miss America 2002
Katie Harman, who was crowned shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, sang a famous soprano aria.
Miss America 2003
Erika Harold stirred up controversy when she announced a new platform after she won.
Miss America 2004
Ericka Dunlap, the first black Miss Florida, used her platform to celebrate diversity.
Miss America 2005
Deidre Downs advocated for a cure for childhood cancer during her extra-long reign.
Miss America 2006
Jennifer Berry was a ballet dancer and an advocate for an anti-drunk-driving group.
Miss America 2007
Lauren Nelson used her platform to bring awareness to protecting children from online dangers.
Miss America 2008
Kirsten Haglund used her own struggles to bring awareness to eating disorders.
Miss America 2009
Katie Stam, the first Miss Indiana to win the title, appeared with her fellow contestants on a reality show.
Miss America 2010
Caressa Cameron sang a Beyoncé tune on her way to winning the crown.
Miss America 2011
Teresa Scanlan, the pageant’s youngest winner since Margaret Gorman in 1951 and its first from Nebraska. Watch a news clip of the big moment.
Categories: Celebrities, News Tags: Angela Perez Baraquio, Caressa Cameron, Carolyn Sapp, Cheryl Prewitt, Contest, Debbye Turner, Debra Maffett, Deidre Down, Elizabeth Ward, Ericka Dunlap, Erika Harold, Gretchen Carlson, Heather French, Heather Whitestone, Jennifer Berry, Kate Shindle, Katie Harman, Katie Stam, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, Kellye Cash, Kimberly Aiken, Kirsten Haglund, Lauren Nelson, Leanza Cornett, Marjorie Vincent, Miss America Pageant, Nicole Johnson, Sharlene Wells, Shawntel Smith, Susan Akin, Susan Powell, Suzette Charles, Tara Dawn Holland, Teresa Scanlan, Vanessa Williams
