The winner of the first Miss America pageant, Margaret Gorman, was crowned in 1921, but she did not live in, nor represent, any U.S. state. Which place did she represent?

In 1921, the inaugural Miss America pageant, then called the "Inter-City Beauty Contest," was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a way to extend the summer tourist season. The contestants in this first pageant were not required to represent a state; instead, they represented various cities in the northeastern United States. Margaret Gorman, a 16-year-old high school junior, had won a popularity contest sponsored by the *Washington Herald* newspaper, which earned her the title of "Miss Washington, D.C." and the opportunity to compete in Atlantic City.

At the pageant, Gorman competed against seven other city representatives. The competition included a "Bather's Revue," where her modest, knee-high stockings and chiffon bathing costume appealed to the judges. She was ultimately awarded the "Golden Mermaid" trophy and the title of "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America." It wasn't until the following year, when she returned to compete, that she was officially recognized as the first "Miss America."

Gorman's victory as a representative of the nation's capital, rather than a state, is a unique detail in the pageant's long history. She lived in Washington, D.C. for her entire life and, despite her early fame, later expressed a desire to forget her time as Miss America, stating she was "bored by it all." Nevertheless, her win marked the beginning of what would become an American institution, all while representing the District of Columbia.