The 15th anniversary issue of Penthouse magazine, released July 23, 1984, became the best-selling issue ever, when controversial photos of the first black Miss America were released. Who was she?

In September 1983, Vanessa Williams made history by becoming the first African American woman to be crowned Miss America. Her victory was a landmark cultural moment, but her reign was cut short by a major scandal just ten months later. Penthouse magazine had acquired and planned to publish unauthorized nude photographs of Williams that were taken two years prior, before her pageant fame, while she was working as a photographer's assistant.

The controversy created a media firestorm. Facing immense pressure and an ultimatum from the Miss America Organization, Williams was forced to resign her crown on July 23, 1984, just seven weeks before her reign was scheduled to end. The 15th anniversary issue of Penthouse featuring her photos was released the same day and went on to become the best-selling issue in the magazine's history, reportedly earning its publisher around $14 million. The title for the remainder of the term was passed to the first runner-up, Suzette Charles.

While the scandal was a devastating public ordeal, Williams launched one of the most successful comebacks in entertainment history. She built a celebrated career as a singer and actress, earning multiple Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award nominations. In 2015, more than three decades after the controversy, the Miss America Organization brought Williams back as a head judge and issued a formal, public apology for the events of 1984.