Famous Pageant Queens and Title Holders

Today’s beauty pageant contestants have some big shoes to fill, if they’re looking to be crowned queen or win a pageant title. Here are a few widely known women, who’ve won titles in beauty pageants across the U.S.

• Today she is the host of World News Tonight, but in 1963, Diane Sawyer took over the pageant limelight when she won America’s Junior Miss pageant.
• In 1971, Oprah Winfrey took home the crown for Miss Fire Prevention and Miss Black Tennessee. Oprah also competed in the Miss Black America Pageant but unfortunately, she didn’t make it to the finals in this pageant.
• Sharon Stone has played in over 50 different movies and television shows, but in 1976, this talented actress was busy winning the title of Miss Crawford County. She was also Saegertown’s Spring Festival Queen.
• Vanessa Williams was the first African-American woman to win the Miss America Pageant in 1984.
• In 1984 Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin took him the crown in the Miss Wasilla Beauty Pageant. She also competed in the Miss Alaska pageant, finishing third and named Miss Congeniality.
• Halle Berry is no stranger to beauty pageants. This Academy Award winning actress’s pageant success stories include Miss Teen All American, Miss Ohio-USA in 1986, she was first runner-up to Miss USA, and fourth runner-up to Miss World in 1986.
• Known for playing the role of Kelly Kapowski in the hit series Saved by the Bell, Tiffani-Amber Theissen grew up competing in beauty pageants. In 1987, she took home the crown for Miss Junior America.
• You may remember Miss Teen USA 1990, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, from movies such as Billy Madison and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Who's your role model pageantry winner?