Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (2024)

Arrow Left Icon An icon in the shape of an arrow pointing left. Homepage

Newsletters

Entertainment

Anneta Konstantinides and Samantha Grindell

2024-07-30T16:13:46Z

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (1)

The 73rd annual Miss USA pageant will take place in Los Angeles on August 4.
The pageant has crowned a winner every year since 1952.
Noelia Voigt won the 2023 pageant but gave up her crown. Savannah Gankiewicz took over as Miss USA.

Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview

Thanks for signing up! Go to newsletter preferences

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

Advertisem*nt

It's almost time to crown a new Miss USA.

On August 4, 51 contestants will head to the Peaco*ck Theater in Los Angeles for the 73rd annual Miss USA pageant.

The pageant will take place just three months after Miss USA Noelia Voigt resigned as queen. Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned two days later, and their mothers told Business Insider that the pair could not speak out directly about their experiences with the Miss USA organization because of NDAs.

Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii took over as Miss USA for Voigt and will crown the new winner at the pageant.

Advertisem*nt

With a new queen to be crowned in a matter of days, BI looked back at who won Miss USA each year since its inception in 1952.

Advertisem*nt

1952: Miss New York Jackie Loughery

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (5)

Loughery was crowned the winner of the pageant after a second round of voting, as the initial vote ended in a tie, according to Reader's Digest.

Loughery died in February 2024.

1953: Miss Illinois Myrna Hansen

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (6)

Hansen represented Illinois in the Miss USA pageant, and she was runner-up in the 1953 Miss Universe pageant.

Advertisem*nt

1954: Miss South Carolina Miriam Stevenson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (7)

Stevenson became the first American to win the Miss Universe pageant after being crowned Miss USA.

1955: Miss Vermont Carlene King Johnson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (8)

Johnson is the only Miss Vermont to win the Miss USA pageant to date.

Advertisem*nt

1956: Miss Iowa Carol Morris

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (9)

Morris was also crowned Miss Universe in 1956, and she is the only Miss Iowa to win Miss USA to date.

1957: Miss Maryland Mary Leona Gage

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (10)

Although she won, Gage's title was revoked because she lied about being married, having two children, and her age. The crown then passed to first runner-up Charlotte Sheffield, who represented Utah.

Advertisem*nt

1958: Miss Louisiana Eurlyne Howell

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (11)

Howell went on to pursue a career in acting after winning Miss USA.

1959: Miss California Terry Huntingdon

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (12)

Huntingdon was the first Miss USA to win the pageant in her home state.

Advertisem*nt

1960: Miss Utah Linda Bement

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (13)

Bement went on to be crowned Miss Universe during the first Miss Universe pageant that was televised live.

1961: Miss Louisiana Sharon Brown

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (14)

In addition to being Miss USA, Brown was crowned queen of the Sugar Bowl in 1962.

Advertisem*nt

1962: Miss Hawaii Macel Wilson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (15)

Wilson was the first Miss Hawaii to win the Miss USA pageant, as well as the first woman of color to win the pageant.

1963: Miss Illinois Marite Ozers

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (16)

Ozers was born in Latvia, and her family relocated to Illinois because of World War II. She went on to represent the state in Miss USA.

Advertisem*nt

1964: Miss District of Columbia Bobbi Johnson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (17)

Johnson was the first contestant from DC to win the pageant.

1965: Miss Ohio Sue Ann Downey

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (18)

After winning Miss USA, Downey won the National Costume Contest at the Miss Universe pageant.

Advertisem*nt

1966: Miss California Maria Remenyi

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (19)

Remenyi returned to the pageant world in 1973 when she served as a judge at the Miss Universe pageant.

Advertisem*nt

1967: Miss Alabama Sylvia Louise Hitchco*ck

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (20)

Hitchco*ck went on to win the Miss Universe pageant, and she returned to judge the pageant in 1972.

Cheryl Patton, who was second runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, became queen in Hitchco*ck's stead.

Advertisem*nt

1968: Miss Washington Dorothy Anstett

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (21)

In addition to participating in the pageant, Anstett was married to famous NBA player Bill Russell for three years.

1969: Miss Virginia Wendy Dascomb

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (22)

Dascomb was the first Miss Virginia to win the Miss USA pageant.

Advertisem*nt

1970: Miss Virginia Deborah Shelton

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (23)

After the pageant, Shelton went on to star on "Dallas" as Mandy Winger from 1984 to 1987.

1971: Miss Pennsylvania Michele McDonald

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (24)

McDonald was the first representative from Pennsylvania to win Miss USA.

Advertisem*nt

1972: Miss Hawaii Tanya Wilson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (25)

Wilson competed in the Miss Nevada pageant twice before she relocated to Hawaii and won the state's pageant, leading her to the Miss USA crown.

1973: Miss Illinois Amanda Jones

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (26)

Jones told the South Eastern Missourian in 1973 that she only applied to the pageant at the encouragement of her modeling agent.

Advertisem*nt

1974: Miss Illinois Karen Jean Morrison

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (27)

Morrison was one of few Miss USA contestants to be crowned by a winner from her same state.

1975: Miss California Summer Bartholomew

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (28)

Following her win, Bartholomew had a brief career as a game-show host, appearing on "Sale of the Century" and "The Price is Right."

Advertisem*nt

1976: Miss Minnesota Barbara Elaine Peterson

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (29)

Peterson was the first Miss Minnesota to win the Miss USA pageant.

1977: Miss Texas Kimberly Tomes

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (30)

Tomes was the first Miss Texas to win the pageant, and she later served as a host for the Miss Texas pageant.

Advertisem*nt

1978: Miss Hawaii Judi Andersen

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (31)

Andersen appeared on TV shows like "Magnum, P.I." and "Fantasy Island" after winning Miss USA.

1979: Miss New York Mary Therese Friel

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (32)

Less than a decade after winning the pageant, Friel founded her own modeling agency and helped train other pageant contestants.

Advertisem*nt

1980: Miss South Carolina Shawn Weatherly

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (33)

Weatherly became Miss Universe after winning Miss USA, and she later appeared on "Baywatch" as Jill Riley.

As first runner-up in the pageant, Miss Arizona Jineane Ford became Miss USA when Weatherly began her reign as Miss Universe.

1981: Miss Ohio Kim Seelbrede

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (34)

Seelbrede's winnings were valued at around $100,000, according to UPI.

Advertisem*nt

1982: Miss Arkansas Terri Lea Utley

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (35)

Utley was the first Miss Arkansas to win the Miss USA pageant.

1983: Miss California Julie Hayek

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (36)

Hayek placed first runner-up at Miss Universe in 1983. Her Miss USA reign launched an acting career, and she appeared on shows including "Dallas," "Twin Peaks," and "As the World Turns," according to her IMDb.

Advertisem*nt

1984: Miss New Mexico Mai Shanley

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (37)

To date, Shanley is the only Miss New Mexico to win the Miss USA pageant.

1985: Miss Texas Laura Harring

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (38)

Harring became a successful model and actor after winning the pageant, appearing on the cover of magazines like Elle and Cosmopolitan and in films like "Mulholland Drive."

Advertisem*nt

1986: Miss Texas Christy Fichtner

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (39)

Fichtner competed against Halle Berry the year she became Miss USA.

1987: Miss Texas Michelle Royer

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (40)

The year Royer was crowned queen, Bob Barker quit his job hosting the pageant because it allowed contestants to wear real fur coats, as Live Now Fox reported.

Advertisem*nt

1988: Miss Texas Courtney Gibbs

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (41)

Gibbs placed eighth at Miss Universe 1988. She then pursued an acting career and, according to her IMDb, appeared in the soap opera "All My Children" and films including "Naked Truth."

1989: Miss Texas Gretchen Polhemus

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (42)

Polhemus was the fifth Miss Texas in a row to win Miss USA from 1985 to 1989. She placed second runner-up at Miss Universe 1989. Polhemus' daughter followed in her pageant footsteps and won Miss Utah USA in 2017.

Advertisem*nt

1990: Miss Michigan Carole Gist

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (43)

Gist was the first African-American woman to win the Miss USA crown. She was also the first winner from Michigan, breaking a five-year winning streak by contestants from Texas. She placed first runner-up at Miss Universe 1990.

1991: Miss Kansas Kelli McCarty

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (44)

McCarty was the first Miss Kansas to win Miss USA, and she placed in the top six at Miss Universe 1991. She went on to star in the soap opera "Passions" for seven years.

Advertisem*nt

1992: Miss California Shannon Marketic

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (45)

Before she won Miss USA, Marketic had been crowned Miss Arizona Teen USA in 1989. She lost the title a week later after it was discovered she had actually placed first runner-up.

1993: Miss Michigan Kenya Moore

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (46)

Moore's big pageant win kicked off a Hollywood acting career that included stints on TV shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Living Single," and "Girlfriends." She has since become a Bravo star, appearing on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" since 2012.

Advertisem*nt

1994: Miss South Carolina Lu Parker

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (47)

Parker placed in the top six at Miss Universe 1994. She's been a co-anchor on KTLA for more than a decade and has won six Emmys for her work.

Advertisem*nt

1995: Miss Texas Chelsi Smith

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (48)

Following her success at Miss USA, Smith also won Miss Universe 1995. She was the sixth American woman to capture the coveted crown and the first to win since 1980.

First runner-up Shanna Moakler of New York became Miss USA when Smith's reign as Miss Universe started.

Advertisem*nt

1996: Miss Louisiana Ali Landry

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (49)

Landry transferred her pageant success into a career in Hollywood. Her biggest role was as Rita Lefleur on UPN's Eve, which she appeared in from 2003 to 2006, according to her IMDb page, and she most recently appeared in the controversial film "Sound of Freedom."

Advertisem*nt

1997: Miss Hawaii Brook Lee

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (50)

After she took the Miss USA crown, Lee went on to win Miss Universe 1997.

Her first runner-up, Miss Idaho Brandi Sherwood, then became Miss USA.

Advertisem*nt

1998: Miss Massachusetts Shawnae Jebbia

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (51)

Jebbia was the first Miss Massachusetts to win Miss USA. She placed in the top five at Miss Universe 1998 and went on to become a "Barker Beauty" on "The Price is Right."

Advertisem*nt

1999: Miss New York Kimberly Pressler

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (52)

In addition to Miss USA 1999, Pressler also won Miss New York Teen USA in 1994.

After her pageant career came to an end, Pressler hosted MTV shows including "Senseless Acts of Video" and "Total Request Live." She also hosted "Adrenaline X" on NBC and has worked as a correspondent for ESPN.

Advertisem*nt

2000: Miss Tennessee Lynnette Cole

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (53)

Cole was the first Miss Tennessee to win Miss USA. She also won Miss Tennessee Teen USA in 1995, and placed fifth at Miss Universe 2000.

The pageant queen has since worked as a TV host for major channels including NBC, MTV, and ESPN.

2001: Miss Texas Kandace Krueger

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (54)

Krueger placed second runner-up at Miss Universe 2001, narrowly missing the crown to Miss Puerto Rico Denise Quiñones.

Advertisem*nt

2002: Miss District of Columbia Shauntay Hinton

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (55)

Miss USA 2002 was only the second pageant Hinton had ever competed in. She has appeared in shows including "Criminal Minds" and "iCarly."

Advertisem*nt

2003: Miss Massachusetts Susie Castillo

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (56)

Castillo was the first Latina woman to win Miss Massachusetts USA. She had previously won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA in 1998.

Following her Miss USA reign, Castillo became an MTV VJ and host for "Total Request Live."

Advertisem*nt

2004: Miss Missouri Shandi Finnessey

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (57)

Finnessey placed first runner-up in the 2004 Miss Universe competition. She has since appeared on reality shows including "The Apprentice," "Dancing with the Stars," and "Ready for Love," which she won.

2005: Miss North Carolina Chelsea Cooley

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (58)

Cooley defended Donald Trump, who previously owned the Miss USA pageant, during his 2016 presidential campaign. She told the Daily Mail that he had been her personal business mentor for years.

Advertisem*nt

2006: Miss Kentucky Tara Conner

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (59)

Conner almost lost her Miss USA crown after tabloids ran stories about her underage drinking and partying at New York City clubs. Trump allowed Conner to continue her reign after she went to rehab.

2007: Miss Tennessee Rachel Smith

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (60)

Smith starred in Trump's 2007 MTV reality show "Pageant Place" alongside Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner and Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori.

Advertisem*nt

2008: Miss Texas Crystle Stewart

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (61)

Stewart went on to become president of Miss USA in 2020. She ran the pageant for two years but was suspended in October 2022 after contestants claimed that year's Miss USA competition was rigged.

The Miss Universe Organization announced in August that it had found no evidence of rigging but said Stewart would no longer be with the organization.

2009: Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (62)

Dalton comes from a big pageant family. Her mother was Miss North Carolina USA in 1982 and her sister Julia competed at Miss USA 2015 as Miss North Carolina.

Advertisem*nt

2010: Miss Michigan Rima Fakih

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (63)

Fakih was the first Muslim woman to win the Miss USA crown. She became the national director of Miss Universe Lebanon in 2018.

2011: Miss California Alyssa Campanella

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (64)

Campanella had previously placed first runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2007.

Advertisem*nt

2012: Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (65)

Olivia Culpo was the first Miss USA to win Miss Universe in 15 years when she took the crown in 2012. She was just 20 years old at the time.

Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether was the first runner-up, so she was crowned Miss USA after Culpo became Miss Universe.

Culpo has since amassed a huge social media following, dipped her toe into acting, and starred on the TLC reality series "The Culpo Sisters" with her family. She is married to Christian McCaffrey, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers.

2013: Miss Connecticut Erin Brady

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (66)

Brady was the first woman from Connecticut to win Miss USA. The finance worker had to postpone her wedding to compete at Miss Universe, which was scheduled on the same day.

Advertisem*nt

2014: Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (67)

Sanchez was the first Miss Nevada to win Miss USA and she placed first runner-up in Miss Universe 2014. She previously worked as a Disney princess in Hong Kong Disneyland.

2015: Miss Oklahoma Olivia Jordan

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (68)

Jordan was crowned following months of controversy at Miss USA after Trump made racist comments during his presidential campaign. The show was dropped by NBC, and multiple guests and judges backed out from appearing at the pageant.

Advertisem*nt

2016: Miss District of Columbia Deshauna Barber

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (69)

Barber joined the Army when she was 17, and was serving as a logistics commander when she won Miss USA.

"As a commander of my unit, I'm powerful, I am dedicated and it is important that we recognize that gender does not limit us in the United States," she said during the pageant finals.

Advertisem*nt

2017: Miss District of Columbia Kára McCullough

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (70)

McCullough was the talk of social media during the Miss USA 2017 pageant when she said she prefers the word "equalism" to "feminism."

The pageant queen later told Business Insider that she believed the word "feminist" can sometimes have a negative connotation in the media, and that's why she wanted to "just change the word to equalist."

Advertisem*nt

2018: Miss Nebraska Sarah Rose Summers

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (71)

Summers made headlines while competing at Miss Universe after she was accused of mocking some of her fellow contestants' English language skills.

"In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize," Summers wrote in an apology she posted to Instagram at the time.

2019: Miss North Carolina Cheslie Kryst

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (72)

Kryst was a complex litigation attorney who helped free a man who was sentenced to life in prison for a drug offense. Her death in January 2022 shocked the tight-knit pageant community.

Advertisem*nt

2020: Miss Mississippi Asya Branch

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (73)

Branch was the first African-American woman to win the title of Miss Mississippi USA.

2021: Miss Kentucky Elle Smith

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (74)

Smith, a journalist from Kentucky, won Miss USA just six months after she began competing in pageants.

Advertisem*nt

2022: Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (75)

Gabriel was the first Filipino American to win the Miss USA crown. Her reign was consumed with controversy after contestants claimed the pageant had been rigged in her favor.

But Gabriel then went on to win Miss Universe, becoming the first American to take the crown in a decade.

Miss North Carolina Morgan Romano took over for Gabriel as Miss USA.

Advertisem*nt

2023: Miss Utah Noelia Voigt

Here's who won the Miss USA pageant the year you were born (76)

Voigt was the first Venezuelan American to become Miss USA when she was crowned in Reno, Nevada, in September 2023.

But Voigt ended her reign early when she resigned as Miss USA on May 6. She cited her mental health when she announced she was stepping back as queen. Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned two days later, saying her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."

Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz became queen in Voigt's stead.

Voigt and Srivastava's mothers told BI that their daughters were bullied by Miss USA's president and CEO, Laylah Rose, during their reigns. Rose and Miss USA did not respond to previous requests for comment from BI.