July 23rd: The Day Miss America Resigned

Today in 1984, Vanessa Williams AKA Miss America gave up her crown and resigned. The beauty queen didn't have such a beautiful past after all, and Penthouse magazine planned on revealing it to the whole world. A threat to publish nude photos of Miss Williams in a future issue spurred her to relinquish her patriotic duties of image, beauty and perfection.

Miss America

Miss America no more

   The 21 year old Vanessa Williams was horrified to see the naked (ha) truth of what she thought was a respectable photo-shoot. A few years earlier, a summer job working as a receptionist for a modelling agency led the young girl to photographer Thomas Chiapel, who persuaded her to be snapped by him in the nude. These were photographs that Williams claims she understood were to be silhouetted and her body and face would not be identifiable. But Williams was extremely misunderstood! 

   Chiapel had some pretty big ammo to arm the press with once she was crowned Miss America in 1983. The news was full of praise, faming Williams for being the first ever black Miss America to win the pageant. So by July 1984, Penthouse magazine decided she had had her glory a little too long, and dug the dirt on her. Vanessa was forced to resign so as not to disgrace the pageant, but has succeeded in Broadway musicals, films, TV series (you may recognise her from Desperate Housewives) and is now a mother of four.