Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: Private Interview (30%) – a 10-minute press conference-style interview with a panel of judges, On Stage Question (10%) – answering a judge's question onstage, Talent or HER Story (20%) – a performance talent or 90 second speech, Health and Fitness (20%) – demonstrated physical fitness onstage dressed in athletic wear, and Evening Gown (20%) – modeling evening-wear onstage.
The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1937 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America.
The Miss Kentucky competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss America pageant.
The Miss New York scholarship competition selects the representative for the state of New York in the Miss America scholarship competition.
The Miss Michigan competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss America pageant. Michigan has won the Miss America crown on five occasions.
The Miss Nevada competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Nevada in the Miss America competition, and the name of the title held by that winner. The first Nevadan to compete at Miss America was Carol Lampe in 1949.
Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.
Miss America 2010, the 83rd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada at the Theatre for the Performing Arts of Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Miss America 2009, Katie Stam from Indiana, crowned her successor, Caressa Cameron from Virginia, at the end of the event.
Miss Universe 2012 was the 61st Miss Universe pageant, held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 19, 2012.
Miss America 2012 was the 85th Miss America pageant, held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts of Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 14, 2012.
Miss America 2014 was the 87th Miss America pageant, held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 15, 2013.
Laura Marie Kaeppeler is an American beauty pageant titleholder crowned Miss America 2012 on January 14, 2012, representing the state of Wisconsin. Kaeppeler was the first woman representing Wisconsin to win Miss America since Terry Meeuwsen won Miss America 1973. She was briefly on the board of directors for the Miss America Organization.
Miss USA 2013 was the 62nd Miss USA pageant, held on June 16, 2013 at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title and the pageant was televised live on NBC. Outgoing titleholder Nana Meriwether of Maryland crowned her successor Erin Brady of Connecticut at the end of the event. This was Connecticut's first ever Miss USA crown.
Mallory Hytes Hagan is an American former news anchor and beauty queen. She had won Miss America 2013 as Miss New York 2012 and campaigned unsuccessfully for the Alabama House of Representatives in 2022.
Nichole Renee Mead Zahner is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Newport, Oregon. She was crowned Miss Oregon 2012 after pageant officials discovered that the original winner did not meet state residency requirements. Mead competed at the Miss America 2013 pageant in January 2013 but was not a semi-finalist for the national title.
CC Barber is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Scappoose, Oregon, who was crowned Miss Oregon 2009. She competed for the Miss America 2010 title in January 2010 and placed in the Top 15 semi-finalists.
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.
The Miss Peru 2016 pageant was held on the night of April 23rd, 2016. This national beauty contest inaugurated the brand new Ecological Center Studios of America Television in Pachacamac, Lima, Peru, after weeks of events.
