[1] Established in 1997, MIR occurs annually in Chicagoland during the autumn, drawing participants and attendees from all over the world.

MIR started in 1997 hosted at the Boystown bar, Cell Block, and has been run every year since.

[3] In 2009 MIR contest moved to the Center on Halsted to account for larger crowds.

[6] At MIR 27 in 2023, organizers announced that the event would allow contestants of all genders to compete;[6] the contest winner may chose whichever honorific best represents them as MIR titleholder: Mr. International Rubber, Ms. International Rubber, Mx.

[7] To promote inclusion, organizers also changed the official name of the contest from "Mr. International Rubber" to gender-neutral "MIR.