17. In 1923, The Pageant Becomes A Huge Success
Miss America was only in its third year, when over 300,000 people bought tickets ahead of time to see the event. Over 70 girls entered to try to be apart of the beauty pageant, and their photos circulated in the newspapers to pick the top contestants to represent each state. The contest broadcasted on live radio, because everyone in the nation wanted to see if the girl from their state would win against the competitors. (Clearly, no one could see the girls over the radio, so they had to use their imagination based on the colorful descriptions.)
They decided to throw a Miss America parade on the boardwalk that year, and thousands of people showed up. Soon enough, Miss America became a reason for people to extend their vacations in Atlantic City into late August and early September, because they could not possibly miss all of the excitement by going home early. For the newspapers and the city council, this was all amazing, because it meant they were able to make a lot more money.