AP Miss Kentucky Tara Elizabeth Conner, 20, reacts as Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley places the crown on her head after she won the Miss USA 2006 pageant.

One almost lost her crown before being ordered to rehab, another gave hers up because of racy photos on the Internet and a third stepped down because she is pregnant

But beauty-queen scandals are nothing new. For the last five decades, tiaras have changed hands because of behavior deemed less than role-model-like. Here's a brief history:

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NAME: Leona Gage

TITLE: Miss USA 1957

WHAT HAPPENED: Gage, who represented Maryland, snagged the crown in the pageant's sixth year. Soon after, her mother-in-law revealed that she was 18, not 21, as her pageant application stated, was in her second marriage and had two children. In tears, Gage explained that she entered the competition to earn prize money to supplement her family's income. Charlotte "Miss Utah" Sheffield became the new Miss USA.

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NAME: Marjorie Wallace

TITLE: Miss World 1973

WHAT HAPPENED: Wallace, who was from Indianapolis, was dethroned about four months into her reign, over her dating celebrities including professional soccer player George Best and singer Tom Jones. The organizers said the first woman from the U.S. to win the title hadn't maintained Miss World's reputation. She later became a television host for "Good Morning Los Angeles" and "Entertainment Tonight."

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NAME: Vanessa L. Williams

TITLE: Miss America 1984

WHAT HAPPENED: Williams, representing New York, became the first black Miss America. She had to resign when nude photos taken before her beauty contest victories were published in Penthouse. The crown was given to Suzette Charles, who's also black. Williams later became a successful singer with such hits as "Save the Best for Last," and "Colors of the Wind." Some of her movie credits include "Eraser," "Soul Food" and "Dance with Me." She currently plays the scheming fashion editor on "Ugly Betty."

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NAME: Oxana Federova

TITLE: Miss Universe 2002

WHAT HAPPENED: The former Miss Russia was fired less than four months into her reign for missing too many events. She was a law student at the time and complained that being Miss Universe interfered with her education. "I never had any intention of abandoning my university work," she said. The pageant president said contestants know Miss Universe is a full-time job and that winners spend 80 percent of their time traveling as goodwill ambassadors. Federova was replaced by first runner-up Justine Pasek, 23, of Panama.

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NAME: Danielle Lloyd

TITLE: Miss Great Britain 2006

WHAT HAPPENED: Lloyd was stripped of her title last November after it was revealed that she had posed nude for Playboy and amid accusations that she was dating one of the judges at the time of the contest. Lloyd, who stars in the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother is now being sued for $194,000 by pageant bosses who claim she hurt the competition's reputation. The new Miss Great Britain is Preeti Desai.

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NAME: Ashley Harder

TITLE: Miss New Jersey USA 2007

WHAT HAPPENED: Harder, who was crowned in October, has given up her tiara because she is pregnant. Harder voluntarily stepped down because it's against pageant rules to compete while pregnant, she told The Philadelphia Daily News this week. Runner-up Erin Abrahamson has assumed the title.

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NAME: Katie Rees

TITLE: Miss Nevada USA 2007

WHAT HAPPENED: Rees was stripped of her title last month after racy photos of her appeared on the Internet. Some of the photos showed her kissing other young women, exposing one of her breasts and pulling down her pants to show her thong underwear at a party in Tampa, Fla. Rees recently signed a two-year, $2 million-plus deal to host a variety show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. First runner-up Helen Salas assumed the Miss Nevada title.

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NAME: Tara Conner

TITLE: Miss USA 2006

WHAT HAPPENED: Conner, representing Kentucky, won the title in April and moved to New York, moved to New York where she partied in clubs and drank despite being underage. Donald Trump gave her a reprieve last month, allowing her to retain the title after she agreed to enter rehab and undergo drug testing. "I've always been a believer in second chances," said Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization and Miss USA with NBC. "Tara is going to be given a second chance."

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NAME: Katie Blair

TITLE: Miss Teen USA 2006

WHAT HAPPENED: According to news reports, Blair was seen drinking and carousing with Conner in New York clubs. Mothers Against Drunk Driving severed ties with Blair in December, saying it was "disappointed" in the 18-year-old from Billings, Mont. A spokeswoman for Miss Universe said Blair would keep her crown. Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, said "a lot of the stories" of Blair's activities were unfounded.

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asap reporter Megan Scott is based in New York.

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