List of Miss America winners facts for kids

Margaret Gorman, the first Miss America, 1921

Elizabeth Ward Gracen in 2010. Elizabeth Ward won in 1982.

Vanessa Williams in 2010. Vanessa won in 1984.

Heather French, 2000 winner

Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014

The Miss America competition is a famous event in the United States. It's an yearly contest for young women from the U.S. who are between 17 and 24 years old. The people competing are judged on different things. These include their talent, how well they do in interviews, and their overall look.

This competition is run by the Miss America Organization. This group is a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't try to make money for itself. Instead, it uses its funds to support its goals. One of its main goals is the "Miss America Scholarship Program." This program gives money for education (scholarships) to the young women who do well in the competition.

The Start of Miss America

The Miss America contest first began in Atlantic City, New Jersey, way back in 1921. A newspaper reporter named Harry Finley had the idea. He wanted to help sell more newspapers and also make Atlantic City a more popular place to visit.

The very first competition had eight young women taking part. Local newspapers chose these contestants. Their prize was a fun holiday in Atlantic City. They also got to join the "Intercity Beauty Contest," which was part of a bigger event called the Atlantic City Pageant.

Margaret Gorman, who was "Miss Washington D.C.," was a schoolgirl from Washington D.C. She was chosen by the Washington Herald newspaper. Margaret won two titles: "Inter-City Beauty, Amateur" and "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America." She also received a special Golden Mermaid Trophy. Because these titles were a bit long and tricky to say, in 1922, Margaret Gorman was given a new, simpler title: "Miss America."

Past Miss America Winners

Many talented women have won the Miss America title over the years. Here is a list of some of the past winners and where they were from.