50. PAT O'BRIEN BECOMES THE STORY

When 21-year-old Syracuse University student Vanessa Williams became the first African-American to be crowned Miss America, all she wanted was to give world peace a chance. Instead, she found herself at the center(fold) of controversy during her reign when naked photos of her surfaced in the pages of Penthouse. The magazine spread triggered so much controversy, Williams was pressured into giving up her title in July 1984.