March 18

A New York Debut

Born in New York City, a young Williams moves to Millwood, N.Y., where she's the only African-American student in her school until age 7. Her parents, Milton and Helen, both music teachers, encourage Vanessa and her brother, Chris, to play musical instruments. She chooses piano and French horn, but also studies tap, ballet and modern dance. Her mother tells her: "Because you're black, you've got to do better than everybody else just to be noticed."

Reluctant Pageant Girl

While a student at Syracuse University, Williams attracts the attention of the director of the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant. At first, Williams is uninterested in pageant competitions until she learns that scholarship money is at stake. She enters and wins Miss Greater Syracuse, later taking the Miss New York title. Next stop for the 20-year-old college junior? Atlantic City.

September 17

Here She Is...Miss America

Williams becomes the first African American to be crowned Miss America, but with much controversy. The Moral Majority bristles when Williams, who is Catholic, expresses pro-choice views, while she finds herself defending her choice of having a white boyfriend. "I never imagined I'd be that depressed about being Miss America," Williams, who receives racist hate mail and even death threats during her reign, tells PEOPLE. The magazine names her one of its 25 Most Intriguing People of 1983.

June

Beginning Her Comeback

Williams returns to the public eye with her off-Broadway debut in the musical, One Man Band. The New York Times says Williams "does just fine" as part of the "fine trio of voices" and is "especially effective in the comic sequences where one might expect a newcomer to be bit awkward." But her most memorable scene comes in October 1986, when her publicist-turned-boyfriend Hervey (left) presents her with an antique diamond in a Tiffany setting over eggs Benedict, she tells PEOPLE.

February

The Right Stuff

Williams releases her first album, The Right Stuff. "I had to beg people to give me any songs at all because nobody thought that they would be hits," she later tells USA Today in 1997. But Williams proves skeptics wrong when the album goes gold and produces three Grammy nominations.