A miniature pig is one of the breeds developed and used for medical research or developed for use as a pet. These smaller pigs were first used for medical research in Europe before being introduced to the United States as pets in the 1980s. Since then, the animals have been used in studies by scientists around the world, including for study as a source of organs for organ transplantation. Some miniature pigs are also kept as pets.

Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs that grow to be 150–200 pounds (68–91 kg) were sent to zoos in Western nations in the 1960s. In the mid-1980s, Keith Connell of the Bowmanville, Ontario zoo imported twenty breeders to Canada. Two of the pigs died in mud. The remaining 18 unrelated pigs were the foundation for the Potbellied Pig in North America. Because of the customs laws, only the offspring could be sold to the United States. US zoos were the main target for the piglets, but private owners soon began purchasing them as pets. Up to five additional imports were made in the following 10 years. To help track the pedigrees, the Potbellied Pig Registry Service, Inc (PPRSI) was created to preserve these bloodlines and establish a breed registry in the United States. These pigs average 150–200 lbs. This registry was dissolved in the late 1990s.

Tyra Lynn Banks (born December 4, 1973). is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, appearing twice on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and working for Victoria's Secret as one of their original Angels. Banks is the creator and host of the UPN/The CW reality television show America's Next Top Model, co-creator of True Beauty, and host of her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show.

Tyra Banks was born in Inglewood, California. She is the daughter of Caroline (née London; now London-Johnson), a medical photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant. She has a brother, Devin, who is five years older. In 1980, when Banks was 6 years old, her parents divorced. Banks attended John Burroughs Middle School and graduated in 1991 from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Tyra Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly ranked among the world's most influential people by Time magazine.