| "> | | | | Universe Competition in Baltimore (Maryland) in |
| Did you know... | | | | 2005. |
| Alabama - Camellia State | | | | Minnesota - Gopher State |
| In July 1967, Sylvia Hitchcok, defeated Miss | | | | Miss United States 1976, Barbara Peterson, a |
| Venezuela, Mariela Balaguer, and was named Miss | | | | native of Edina (Minnesota), did not advance past |
| Universe in Miami, FL. She was the first American | | | | the first round in the MU competition in Hong |
| to win a MU title since 1960. Alabama's Miss | | | | Kong. Minnesota's Peterson was the first |
| Universe Sylvia Hitchcok visited South America in | | | | American to be eliminated in the preliminaries at |
| late 1967. | | | | the Miss Universe Pageant. She won the American |
| Alaska - The Last Frontier | | | | title in Niagara Falls, NY. |
| In 1990, Miss Alaska, Karin Elizabeth Meyer made | | | | Missouri -Show Me State |
| the top six in the American contest in Wichita, | | | | Shandi Finnessey placed first in the global event in |
| Kansas. Alaska -- the biggest State in America -- | | | | Quito, Ecuador. Before that event, she had been |
| has never won a national beauty pageant. | | | | crowned Miss U. S. Universe in Los Angeles, CA. |
| Arkansas - The Razorback State | | | | New York - Empire State |
| In May 1982, Terri Utley brought the Miss USA | | | | In the late 70s, New York's contestant Mary |
| title to Arkansas for the first time. Shortly | | | | Therese Friel earned the national beauty pageant, |
| thereafter, Peru's magazine "Gente" had put Miss | | | | but in May 1981,New York, Miss Universe City |
| USA 1982 ,a voracious reader, in the top of its list | | | | 1981, could not compete in the Miss USA Universe |
| of favorites to win the Miss Universe 1982 in | | | | in Biloxi, MS. Miss New York, Deborah Fountain, |
| Lima, Peru. Miss Utley, one of the world's most | | | | had been disqualified in the Miss United States |
| intelligent beauty queens, placed fifth in the global | | | | Pageant. Why? She had padded her swimsuit top |
| competition. In Peru, Utley was one of the two | | | | in the preliminaries. It was one of the most |
| finalists from North America. | | | | embarrassing episodes of the Miss New York |
| California - Golden State | | | | Pageant. For the first time, a Miss Universe City |
| The state of California is home to a number of | | | | did not take part in the national beauty pageant. |
| world-famous beautiful girls, among them Lucie | | | | North Carolina - Old North State |
| Arnaz, Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, and Linda | | | | NC has won two titles in Miss USA history: 2005 |
| Gray, but Miss California did not even make the | | | | (Chelsea Cooley) & 2009 (Kristen Dalton). |
| semi-finals in 1952 and 1956. In the late 50s and | | | | Pennsylvania - Keystone State |
| 60s, it won two American awards. In the mid-70s, | | | | On May 22, 1971, Pennsylvania's delegate Michelle |
| Summer Robin Bartholomew, Miss California | | | | MacDonald, a blonde girl, earned the American |
| earned the national title. During Miss Universe | | | | prize in Miami Beach, FL. Meanwhile, Miss Texas, |
| 1975, she and Colombia's Lucia Echeverry were | | | | Benda Lyn Box, was first runner-up and Miss |
| jointly award the Miss Photogenic title. In addition | | | | Arizona, Susan Elizabeth Pottenger, finished third. |
| to the Photogenic Prize, Miss USA 1975, | | | | Miss Missouri, Nancy Rebecca Rich, and Miss |
| 23-year-old, made the top five in San Salvador,El | | | | Kentucky, Patricia Barnstable, also were finalists. |
| Salvador. | | | | MacDonald, a native of Buttler, was one of the 15 |
| District of Columbia - American Rose | | | | semi-finalists in the MU contest. |
| DC -- the smallest territory in America - has won | | | | South Carolina -Palmetto State |
| more Miss USA awards than Florida, Maryland, | | | | South Carolina has produced many top beauty |
| Arizona and New Mexico. In 1964, Bobbie Johnson | | | | queens: In 1954,Miriam Stevenson was crowned |
| became Miss United States and then competed in | | | | MU in Long Beach, California, and then, 26 years |
| the Miss Universe contest in Florida, where she | | | | later, Shawn Weatherly, who studied at South |
| made the top 15. In the early 2000s, Shauntay | | | | Carolina State University, became the fifth |
| Hinton won the national title in Gary (Indiana), but | | | | American citizen to win the universal award in |
| she did not make even the semi-finals in the Miss | | | | Seoul, South Korea. Miss South Carolina 1980, a |
| Universe competition in San Juan de Puerto Rico. | | | | blue-eyed girl, qualified to compete for the Miss |
| Hawaii -Aloha State | | | | Universe title by defeating Miss Arizona, Jineane |
| Between 1962 and 1997, Hawaiian representatives | | | | Ford, in the Miss United States finals. |
| picked up a total of four Miss U.S. titles: 1962 | | | | Utah -Beehive State |
| (Macel Wilson), 1972 (Tanya Wilson), 1978 (Judy | | | | Linda Bement, former Miss Utah, made |
| Anderson) and 1997 (Brook Mahealani Lee). | | | | unexpected international headlines in 1960 when |
| Iowa - Hawkeye State | | | | she won the universal title. In addition to this, Utah |
| Thanks to Carol Morris, Miss Iowa, the States | | | | has won two Miss USA trophies. |
| won the internationally-recognized Miss Universe | | | | Virginia - Old Dominion |
| Contest in 1956, the second time an American | | | | In the late 60s and early 70s, Virginia won the |
| woman had triumphed there. | | | | Miss U.S. Universe title two years in succession. |
| Maryland - Old Line State | | | | Miss USA 1970, Deborah Shelton, was runner-up |
| America's swimmer Michael Phelps, a sports icon | | | | to Miss Universe in Miami, FL. |
| on Earth, was one of the judges of the Miss U.S.A | | | | |