In a This Day in History video, learn that on July 23, 1984, Miss American pageant winner Vanessa Williams was forced to turn in her tiara. Williams had made history by being the first African American woman to receive the Miss America title, but when Pent House magazine published racy photos that had been taken two years earlier, Williams was asked to abdicate. Williams stated that she regretted the photos, but that she planned to focus on her future and her career; and she did.
Samuel Sandoval, one of the last original Navajo Code Talkers, recalls enlisting in the Marines at 18 to help create an unbreakable code. Using their sacred, unwritten language, he and his brothers-in-arms forged a secret weapon that never fell to the enemy.
Historian Zonnie Gorman shares the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers, including her father, Carl. These heroes used their native language to help secure every major Pacific battle. As Major Connor noted, without them, Iwo Jima would never have been taken.