Sept. 17, 1983

Vanessa Williams, then 20, becomes the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J. Less than a year later, she loses her crown when nude photos of her appear in Penthouse. That didn't stop her from launching a successful acting and singing career afterward, however. We'll overlook "Desperate Housewives."

( AP file photo / September 17, 2012 )

Vanessa Williams, then 20, becomes the first black woman to be crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, N.J. Less than a year later, she loses her crown when nude photos of her appear in Penthouse. That didn't stop her from launching a successful acting and singing career afterward, however. We'll overlook "Desperate Housewives."

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