Miss America

Miss America is an annual competition for women from the United States. Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 28. The event serves as a platform to showcase diverse skills and talents. It has become a significant cultural institution over its long history. The current titleholder is Cassie Donegan of New York. She was crowned on September 7, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.

Judges determine the winner through several specific scoring segments. The Private Interview is the most important part, accounting for 30% of the total score. In this segment, contestants participate in a 10-minute press conference-style interview. The On Stage Question accounts for 10% of the score. This requires answering a question from a judge in front of the audience. Talent or HER Story represents 20% of the score. Contestants provide a performance or a 90-second speech. Health and Fitness also counts for 20% through onstage physical demonstrations. Finally, modeling evening-wear counts for the remaining 20%.

The pageant's roots trace back to Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1920, an event called The Fall Frolic was held to boost boardwalk business. It featured 350 men pushing 350 decorated rolling wicker chairs. The main attraction included "maidens" in the chairs, led by Head Maiden Ernestine Cremona. This success led the Businessmen's League to plan a formal beauty pageant for 1921. Local newspapers sponsored contests to find winners for the Atlantic City event.

The first official winner was 16-year-old Margaret Gorman. She was known as the "Golden Mermaid" and received $100.

History shows the competition has faced many challenges and changes. The pageant shut down from 1928 to 1932 due to the Great Depression. It also faced criticism regarding its perceived morals during that era. In 1935, Lenora Slaughter became director and helped reinvent the pageant. In 1944, Jean Bartel helped transition rewards from furs and movie contracts to college scholarships. This change provided lasting educational benefits for contestants. By 1940, the event officially adopted the name "The Miss America Pageant."

The organization has also navigated significant social and racial shifts. For many years, Rule Seven required contestants to be of the white race. This segregationist rule was finally abolished in 1950. Bess Myerson became the first Jewish-American winner in 1945. She faced antisemitism and spoke out against discrimination. In 1970, Cheryl Browne became the first African-American contestant. Later, Vanessa Williams became the first African-American woman to win in 1984.

Protests have also shaped how the public views the pageant. During the 1960s, feminist and civil rights movements criticized the event. In 1968, members of the New York Radical Women protested the competition. They viewed the pageant as sexist and racially exclusive. Some protesters even symbolically destroyed feminine products like hairspray and cosmetics. These demonstrations highlighted the tension between traditional beauty standards and changing social values.

In recent years, the pageant has attempted to evolve through new formats. In 2018, the organization introduced "Miss America 2.0." Under chairwoman Gretchen Carlson, the pageant stopped judging physical appearance. This included the removal of the swimsuit competition. This era focused on different aspects of womanhood and leadership. However, in 2023, many of these changes were reversed under new leadership. The pageant continues to balance its historical traditions with modern cultural expectations.