Nina Davuluri becomes the first Indian to win the Miss America title. The 24-year-old Miss New York and an aspiring physician defeating 52 other contestants from all the 50 states, capital city of Washington, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The last year's winner, Mallory Hagan, another former Miss New York, crowned her successor.
Syracuse resident Davuluri, who was also the first Indian-American to serve as Miss New York, sashayed off with the tiara and the $50,000 scholarship cash that she intends to use to pursue her medical studies by showing off her talent with a "Classical Bollywood Fusion" dance.
The paegeant was televised live by ABC, which picked up the contest again in 2011 after dropping it in 2004 because of a steep ratings decline.
The judges were 2004 Miss America winner Deidre Downs Gunn, the New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire, Lance Bass from the boy band 'N Sync, comedian Mario Cantone, violinist Joshua Bell and television chef Carla Hal.
