Beauty pageants are competitions in which contestants are judged solely on their physical appearance. These contests, or pageants, are mostly participated in by women and young girls, where the winners are crowned beauty queen The beauty pageant industry is a worldwide, $5 billion a year industry.http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20020808a.asp

The process by which contestants are crowned beauty queen can be lengthy and involve several levels of competition, or take place at a single competition. Typically, larger pageants begin with local or regional competitions. The winner or top ranking contestants, depending on the pageant, will then move on to the next level of competition, state. From there, winners will move on to the national title competition, where they face other winners for the top title. Depending on the pageant organization and the competition, entry fees and costs can vary and go as high as several thousands of dollars for a single pageant.http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20020808a.asp

Beauty pageant contestants are scored based on their overall appearance and poise, facial features, style of dress, and on-stage personality.http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Beauty_contest

These pageants have long been criticized for their exploitation of women and girls, and their emphasis of physical attributes, rather than inner qualities. Also, for the many scandals that have arisen from contestant's attempting to gain advantage over their competition, through sabotage and even violent acts.http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1873790_1873792_1873788,00.html

• 1921: An Atlantic City hotel entrepeanuer held the first U.S. pageant as a promotional gimmick called the National Beauty Tournament. The competition was designed to entice visitors to stay beyond the Labor Day holiday. Local news reporter, Herb Test, suggests the title of the pageant be Miss America.http://pageantcenter.com/history-20s.html
• 1921: 16-year-old, Margaret Gorman, representing Washington D.C., won the first Miss America title.http://pageantcenter.com/history-20s.html
• 1923: Mary Katherine Campbell wins the title of Miss America for a second year in a row. A rule is instituted that contestants can only hold the title once.http://pageantcenter.com/history-20s.html
• 1929 -1932: The pageant goes on hiatus due to effects of the Great Depression.http://pageantcenter.com/history-20s.html
• 1933: The contest is reinstituted as The Variety Showman's Jubilee. The winner of this competition, 15-year-old Marian Bergeron, is the first to win in an evening gown as opposed to a swimsuit.http://pageantcenter.com/history-30s.html
• 1930's: A talent competition is added to the pageant.http://pageantcenter.com/history-30s.html
• 1938: The talent portion is made mandatory.http://pageantcenter.com/history-30s.html
• 1945: Under the direction of its first female director, Lenora Slaughter, institutes scholarship prizes, giving contestants the opportunity to attend college.http://pageantcenter.com/history-40s.html
• 1951: The first Miss World Pageant was heldhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-50s.html
• 1959: The first Miss India Pageant was heldhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-50s.html
• 1961: The Little Miss America Pageant contest is startedhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-60s.html
• 1968: The first Miss Black America Pageant was heldhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-60s.html
• 1971: The first Miss National Teen-Ager Pageant was foundedhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-70s.html
• 1977: The Miss Teen All America Pageant was startedhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-70s.html
• 1980: The Miss T.E.E.N. Pageant was foundedhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-80s.html
• 1981: TEEN Magazine acquires the rights to the Miss Teenage America Pageanthttp://pageantcenter.com/history-80s.html
• 1983: Vanessa Williams becomes the first African-American to win the Miss America title.http://pageantcenter.com/history-80s.html
• 1985: The Mrs. World Pageant was foundedhttp://pageantcenter.com/history-80s.html
• 1992: The Miss Teen of America Pageant is founded.