Miss America is an annual competition open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a beauty pageant, the competition now judges competitors' talent performances and interviews in addition to their physical appearance.
In January 2018, the new board of directors increased the maximum age of titleholders to 25 years old, from 24.[1] Therefore, contestants couldn't be older than 25 years old on December 31 in the calendar year of her state competition.[1]
In January 2023, the new board of directors increased the maximum age of delegates to 28 years old, from 27. Thus, participants must be at least 18 by the date of competition, and no older than 28 in the year of her national competition.
| Year | Crowned | Winner | State/District | City | Age [2] | Awards | Talent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Sept. 8, 1921 | [3] | District of Columbia | Washington | 16 | Inter-City Beauty, Amateur | ||
| 1922 | Sept. 7, 1922 | [4] [5] | Ohio | Columbus | 16 | Only person to win twice; also was 1st runner-up at the 1924 pageant | ||
| 1923 | Sept. 7, 1923 | 17 | ||||||
| 1924 | Sept. 6, 1924 | [6] | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 18 | |||
| 1925 | Sept. 11, 1925 | [7] | California | Oakland | 19 | |||
| 1926 | Sept. 10, 1926 | [8] | Oklahoma | Tulsa | 18 | Bather's Revue Winner Evening Gown Award | ||
| 1927 | Sept. 9, 1927 | [9] | Illinois | Joliet | 17 | |||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 1929 | ||||||||
| 1930 | ||||||||
| 1931 | ||||||||
| 1932 | ||||||||
| 1933 | Sept. 9, 1933 | [10] | Connecticut | West Haven | 15 | Youngest winner in history at the age of 15½ Held title for two years since no competition was held in 1934 | ||
| 1934 | No national pageant was held | |||||||
| 1935 | Sept. 7, 1935 | [11] | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | 17 | Vocal / Tap dance, "Living In a Great Big Way" | ||
| 1936 | Sept. 12, 1936 | [12] | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 22 | Preliminary Talent | Vocal / Tap dance, "I Can't Escape From You" & "Truckin'" | |
| 1937 | Sept. 11, 1937 | [13] | New Jersey | 17 | Evening Gown Award | Vocal, "When the Poppies Bloom Again" | ||
| 1938 | Sept. 10, 1938 | Ohio | Marion | 21 | Tap dance, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" | Held the title of Miss Ohio twice (1931 & 1938) | ||
| 1939 | Sept. 9, 1939 | [14] | Michigan | Detroit | 19 | Vocal / Bass Fiddle, "To You" & "Ol' Man Mose" | ||
| 1940 | Sept. 7, 1940 | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Vocal / Dance, "I Can't Love You Anymore" | ||
| 1941 | Sept. 6, 1941 | California | Los Angeles | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Dance | Also placed 1st runner-up at Miss America 1940 pageant | |
| 1942 | Sept. 12, 1942 | Texas | Tyler | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Vocal / Dance, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" | ||
| 1943 | Sept. 11, 1943 | California | Los Angeles | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Vocal, "Night and Day" | ||
| 1944 | Sept. 9, 1944 | District of Columbia | Washington | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Vocal / Dance, "Take It Easy" | ||
| 1945 | Sept. 8, 1945 | New York | New York City | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Piano & flute, "Piano Concerto In A Minor" by Edvard Grieg & "Summertime" | First Jewish-American Miss America First Miss New York crowned | |
| 1946 | Sept. 7, 1946 | California | Los Angeles | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent (tie) | Dramatic monologue, Accent on Youth | ||
| 1947 | Sept. 6, 1947 | Tennessee | Memphis | 21 | Preliminary Talent | Art display & vocal medley, "One Kiss" & "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly | ||
| 1948 | Sept. 11, 1948 | Minnesota | Hopkins | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Vibraharp, "Caprice Viennois" by Fritz Kreisler | ||
| 1949 | Sept. 10, 1949 | Arizona | Litchfield Park | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit (tie) Preliminary Talent | Dramatic reading, Romeo and Juliet | ||
| Sept. 9, 1950 | Yolande Betbeze | Alabama | Mobile | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Classical vocal, "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto | Sparked the creation of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants | |
| 1952 | Sept. 8, 1951 | Utah | Salt Lake City | 25 | Preliminary Talent | Dramatic monologue, "Elizabeth the Queen" by Maxwell Anderson | ||
| 1953 | Sept. 6, 1952 | Georgia | Macon | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Classical piano, "Toccata" | ||
| 1954 | Sept. 12, 1953 | Evelyn Ay | Pennsylvania | Ephrata | 20 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Poetry recitation, "Footsteps" from Leaves from a Grass-House by Don Blanding | |
| 1955 | Sept. 11, 1954 | [15] | California | San Francisco | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Dramatic monologue, Riders to the Sea | First winner crowned on television Became an actress, starring in Batman and Barnaby Jones |
| 1956 | Sept. 10, 1955 | [16] | Colorado | Denver | 18 | Recitation, "The Murder of Lidice" by Edna St. Vincent Millay | ||
| 1957 | Sept. 8, 1956 | [17] | South Carolina | Manning | 19 | Comedy sketch, "The Monroe Doctrine" | ||
| 1958 | Sept. 7, 1957 | [18] | Colorado | Denver | 20 | Organ, "Tea for Two" & "Tenderly" | Television broadcast moved to CBS | |
| 1959 | Sept. 6, 1958 | [19] | Mississippi | Brandon | 21 | Preliminary Talent | Vocal medley & dance, "Un Bel Di" & "There'll Be Some Changes Made" | Became a television actress (seen on Diff'rent Strokes) and hostess |
| 1960 | Sept. 12, 1959 | [20] | Natchez | 20 | Original dramatic act, "Schizophrenia" | |||
| 1961 | Sept. 10, 1960 | [21] | Michigan | Montague | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent (tie) | Presentation of dress design | |
| 1962 | Sept. 9, 1961 | [22] | North Carolina | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Vocal/tap dance, "Somebody Loves Me" | First Miss North Carolina crowned | |
| 1963 | Sept. 8, 1962 | [23] | Ohio | Sandusky | 20 | Broadway medley, "Wishing Upon a Star," "My Favorite Things" & The White Cliffs of Dover | ||
| 1964 | Sept. 7, 1963 | [24] | Arkansas | El Dorado | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Vocal medley, "Quando me'n vo'" & "I Love Paris" | |
| 1965 | Sept. 12, 1964 | [25] | Arizona | Phoenix | 21 | Miss Congeniality | Ventriloquism, "Together (Wherever We Go)" | Only Miss Congeniality winner to be also crowned Miss America |
| 1966 | Sept. 11, 1965 | [26] | Kansas | Overland Park | 19 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Dramatic interpretation, "The Miserable Miserliness of Midas Moneybags" | |
| 1967 | Sept. 10, 1966 | [27] | Oklahoma | Laverne | 19 | Preliminary Talent | Vocal / Orchestral conducting, "1-2-3" | Television broadcast moved to NBC |
| 1968 | Sept. 9, 1967 | [28] | Kansas | Moran | 20 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Piano, "Born Free" | |
| 1969 | Sept. 7, 1968 | [29] | Illinois | Belvidere | 18 | Preliminary Swimsuit Preliminary Talent | Acrobatic dance & trampoline, "The Blue Danube" | |
| 1970 | Sept. 6, 1969 | [30] | Michigan | West Bloomfield | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Ballet, "Love Theme" from Romeo & Juliet | |
| 1971 | Sept. 12, 1970 | [31] | Texas | Denton | 21 | Preliminary Swimsuit | Piano medley, Promises, Promises & "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" |