The Miss Rhode Island Pageant is sponsored by the Rhode Island Junior Chamber of Commerce as a part of the nation-wide search for the typical American girl -- a Miss America from Rhode Island.

This is an official preliminary contest of the Miss America Pageant held each September in Atlantic City.

Heywood Broun wrote: `` Belle Poitrine is the most original thinker since Caligula '', and even F.D.R. had to concede that `` if the rest of this nation showed the foresight and patriotism of Miss Poitrine, America would rapidly resemble ancient Babylon and Nineveh ''.

Both Miss Garson and her oilman-rancher husband are active supporters of Boys Clubs of America and patrons of the vivid art and opera colony that flourishes in New Mexico.

Elizabeth Ward Gracen ( born Elizabeth Grace Ward ) is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982.

She won the titles of Miss Arkansas in 1981 and Miss America in 1982.

She used her Miss America scholarship money to study acting at HB Studios in New York City before moving to Hollywood to pursue a film and television career.

Category: Miss America winners

Category: Miss America Preliminary Swimsuit winners

* 1993 – Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011

In 1977, a former Miss America contestant and orange juice spokesperson, Anita Bryant, began a campaign " Save Our Children ", in Dade County, Florida ( greater Miami ), which proved to be a major set-back in the Gay Liberation movement.

* 1980 – Deidre Downs, American model, Miss America 2005

* 1924 – Bess Myerson, American model, Miss America 1945

* 1984 – Vanessa Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown after nude photos of her appeared in Penthouse magazine.

In 1968, they protested against the Miss America pageant by throwing high heels and other feminine accoutrements into a garbage bin, to represent freedom.

* 1988 – Kirsten Haglund, American model, Miss America 2008

* 1921 – In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first Miss America Pageant, a two-day event, is held.

* 1983 – Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America.

* 1921 – 16-year-old Margaret Gorman wins the Atlantic City Pageant's Golden Mermaid trophy ; pageant officials later dubbed her the first Miss America.

The halftime show also featured the Longhorn Band, along with Judy Mallett, Miss Texas 1973, playing the fiddle, in a tribute to American music titled " A Musical America ".

After a childhood of beauty pageants, Thiessen was crowned Miss Junior America in 1987 and a year later won Teen magazine's " Great Model Search " in 1988, by gracing the cover of that issue.

* Venus Ramey ( born 1924 ), Miss America in 1944

* July 23 – Vanessa Lynn Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown, after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine.

Hart's fellow contestants choose her as Miss Congeniality, and she starts a relationship with Matthews.

* 1997 – In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.

** Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe Pageant ; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.

* November 22 – In Nigeria, more than 100 are killed at an attack aimed at the Miss World contestants.

The news photo caption for this 1959 Venice, California event read: " Beatnik Beauties: Posing before a sample of beatnik art are contestants for the title of Miss Beatnik of 1959, which will be conferred Sept. 12 under sponsorship of the Venice Arts Committee.

It featured contestants from England, Russia, Turkey, and many other nations and the title awarded at the time was known as " Miss Universe.

In 2011, Dirty Beer Hole, a website that is popular among the users of social-media giants Twitter and Facebook, began seeking contestants for its irreverent, yet entertaining, Miss Cheap Beer beauty pageant.

Category: Miss Universe 1970 contestants

Category: Miss Universe 1985 contestants

Category: Miss Universe 2001 contestants

Many European countries allow 17-year-old contestants to compete in their pageants, while Miss Universe's minimum age is 18, so national titleholders often have to be replaced by their runners-up.

Category: Miss Universe 1981 contestants

The previous day, TLC aired a one-hour preview show at 10: 00 pm entitled Miss America: Behind the Curtain, which featured some of the contestants and scenes from the preliminary competition.

Category: Miss World contestants

Category: Miss Universe 1984 contestants

Category: Miss Universe 2000 contestants

On May 26, 1987 she beat 67 contestants to become the first Chilean to win the Miss Universe beauty pageant that was held in Singapore that year.

Category: Miss Universe 1987 contestants

Several contestants of the Miss World beauty contest, to be held in Nigeria in 2002, pulled out of the contest to protest against Amina Lawal's treatment.

Successful contestants may be offered TVB's contracts and represent Hong Kong to take part at world-class beauty contests, including the Miss World Pageant.

Category: Miss Universe 1972 contestants

In " The Lesser of Two Evils ," one of the Miss Universe pageant contestants is an energy being identified, with little fanfare, as " Miss Heaven ," suggesting that by the 31st century, Heaven is an accessible part of the universe rather than a divine afterlife attainable only after death.

Category: Miss Universe 1982 contestants