Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, when the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, Miss USA for 2008 prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization.
Deidre Downs Gunn is an American physician and former beauty pageant titleholder. Downs was Miss Alabama 2004 and later was crowned Miss America 2005.
The Miss District of Columbia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the District of Columbia in the Miss USA pageant. Four District of Columbia representatives have won the Miss USA title. Of those two, Deshauna Barber and Kára McCullough won successive Miss USA titles in 2016 and 2017. The most recent placement was Cassie Baloue in 2023, placing Top 20.
The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s. Four Miss Virginia winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America, including former national titleholder Caressa Cameron.
The Miss Missouri competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Missouri in the Miss America pageant.
Miss USA 1964 was the 13th Miss USA pageant, held in Miami Beach, Florida on July 29, 1964. This was the last Miss USA pageant to be held as an inclusive part of the Miss Universe event.
Noyonita Lodh (born 8 August 1993) is an Indian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Diva Universe 2014 and represented India at Miss Universe 2014 in Doral, Florida, United States on 25 January 2015 where she placed in the Top 15.
Aniporn Chalermburanawong is a Thai actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Thailand 2015. She represented Thailand at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant held in Las Vegas, where she placed top 10 and won Best in National Costume.
Miss USA 2016 was the 65th Miss USA pageant, held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 5, 2016. Terrence J and Julianne Hough all hosted for the first time, while Ashley Graham served as the backstage host. All fifty states and the District of Columbia competed. Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma crowned her successor, Deshauna Barber of the District of Columbia, at the end of the event. Barber became the first African American to win the Miss USA title since Crystle Stewart in 2008, and this was District of Columbia's third title and the first title since 2002. Barber represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant, where she placed in the Top 9.
Chelsea Keolani Hardin is an American model, public speaker, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2016. She was the first runner-up to Deshauna Barber of District of Columbia at Miss USA 2016.
Miss USA 2017 was the 66th Miss USA pageant. It was held on May 14, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Terrence J and Julianne Hough served as hosts, while Ashley Graham also returned as backstage host, all for a second consecutive year. Brett Eldredge, Pitbull, and the cast of Michael Jackson: One by Cirque du Soleil performed.
Kára McCullough Temple is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2017. As Miss USA, McCullough represented the United States at Miss Universe 2017, where she placed in the top ten.
Sarah Rose Summers Combs is an American model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2018. As Miss USA, she represented the United States at Miss Universe 2018, where she placed in the top 20. Previously, Summers was crowned Miss Nebraska USA 2018 and went on to become the first woman from Nebraska to win the Miss USA title.
Marisa Paige Butler is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned both Miss World America 2018 and Miss Earth USA 2021. As a national titleholder, Butler represented the United States at Miss World 2018, placing in the top thirty, and then represented the United States at Miss Earth 2021. Previously, Butler had been crowned Miss Maine USA 2016 and represented Maine at Miss USA 2016, where she was unplaced.
Zozibini Tunzi, also known as Zozi Tunzi, is a South African model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2019. Tunzi had previously been crowned Miss South Africa 2019. She is the third woman from South Africa and the first black South African woman to win the title.
Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly is an Irish-American model and beauty pageant titleholder. In 2019 she was crowned Miss Universe Ireland. She made history as the first woman of color and Black woman to represent Ireland at the international Miss Universe competition.
Kelsey Weier is an American television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. She received national recognition after appearing as a contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor. She was eliminated during week 8 by Peter Weber. She appeared on season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise. She was eliminated week 1. Prior to her television career, Weier had been crowned Miss Iowa USA in 2017.
Evelyn Abena Akuaba Appiah is a Ghanaian–American singer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Queen Beauty Universe 2016 and Miss Grand International 2020. She was appointed as Miss Grand USA and became the first Black woman to win the Miss Grand International crown. She previously represented Ghana in two of the Big Four international beauty pageants but lost in Miss Universe 2014 and Miss Earth 2019.
