Bess Myerson, American model, actress, game show panelist, and politician, Miss America 1945 (d. 2014)
Bess Myerson (July 16, 1924 – December 14, 2014) was an American politician, model and television actress who became famous in 1945 as the first Miss America who was also Jewish. Myerson is the only Jewish woman to win the title to date.
Her achievement, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, was seen as an affirmation of the Jewish place in American life. She was a heroine to the Jewish community, where "she was the most famous pretty girl since Queen Esther."Myerson made frequent television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s. She was a commissioner in the New York City government, served on presidential commissions from the 1960s through the 1980s, and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. Her career in public service ended in the late 1980s when she was indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges. She was acquitted after a highly publicized trial.
1924Jul, 16
Bess Myerson
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Events on 1924
- 12Feb
Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue received its premiere in a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music", in Aeolian Hall, New York, by Paul Whiteman and his band, with Gershwin playing the piano. - 25Mar
Second Hellenic Republic
On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic. - 8Apr
Atatürk's Reforms
Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk's Reforms. - 4Aug
Soviet Union
Diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Soviet Union are established. - 23Nov
Andromeda Galaxy
Edwin Hubble's discovery, that the Andromeda "nebula" is actually another island galaxy far outside of our own Milky Way, is first published in The New York Times.