Contents 1 History 1.1 Competition formats 2 The contest today 2.1 Candidate selection 2.2 Main pageant 2.3 Final judgment 2.4 Crown 3 Miss Universe 2007 4 Recent titleholders 4.1 Hosts and invited artists 5 "League tables" 5.1 By number of wins 5.2 By country tally 5.3 By continental regions 6 Trivia and statistics 6.1 Scores 6.2 Locations 6.3 Competing states 6.4 Delegates 6.5 Winners 6.6 Awards 6.7 The Miss Universe Creed 7 Controversies 8 References 9 External links

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest run by the Miss Universe Organization. A beauty contest or beauty pageant is a competition based mainly though not always entirely on the physical beauty of its contestants and often incorporating Personality Hilary Cruz and Crystle Stewartjpg|thumb|200px| Hilary Cruz, Miss Teen USA 2007 and Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008]]RachelHilaryUSO

The contest was founded in 1952 by California clothing company Pacific Mills. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The pageant became part of Kayser-Roth and then Gulf and Western Industries, before being acquired by Donald Trump in 1996. Gulf and Western Industries Inc, for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate. Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American Business magnate, Socialite, Television personality, and

Alongside the rival Miss World and Miss Earth contests, this pageant is one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world. The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 Miss Earth is an annual international Beauty pageant promoting Environmental awareness.

History

The winner of the "Miss America 1951" pageant, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose in a swimsuit from its major sponsor, Catalina swimwear. The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands Yolande Betbeze (born 1929 in Mobile Alabama) was Miss America in 1951 Catalina is one of the oldest apparel manufacturers in California and one of the best known names in the swimwear industry As a result, the brand's manufacturer Pacific Mills withdrew from Miss America and set up the Miss USA and Miss Universe contests. The Miss USA Beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, California in 1952. Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast It was won by Armi Kuusela from Finland, who gave up her title to get married to a Filipino tycoon, Virgilio Hilario, shortly before her year was complete. Armi Kuusela (born Armi Helena Kuusela on August 20, 1934 in Muhos) was a Finnish beauty queen Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Until 1958 the Miss Universe title (like Miss America) was post-dated, so at the time Ms. Kuusela's title was Miss Universe 1953.

The pageant was first televised in 1955. CBS began nationally broadcasting the combined Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants from 1960 and, separately, from 1965. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. In 2003 NBC took over the television rights.

The main pageant was held consecutively in the continental US from 1952 to 1971. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District Since then, the pageant has been held in locales around the world.

Competition formats

In the early years of the pageant, the delegates who made the cut were announced after the preliminary competition. Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza (born October 3, 1987 in Cayey, Puerto Rico, and raised in Salinas, Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican From 1965 to the present day, the semi-finalists were not announced until the night of the main event. The semi-finalists once again competed in evening gown and swimsuit and a top 5 were announced. An interview portion was introduced in 1960 to decide the runners-up and winner.

From 1959 to 1964, there were slight format changes. In 1959 through 1963, there was no cut to 5 finalists; the runners-up and winners were called from the assembled 15 semi-finalists. In 1964, the top 15 became a top 10, and after a round of interview, the winner and runners-up were called from the 10 finalists.

In 1965, the pageant returned to the original format of a cut to 5 finalists, and remained so until 1989.

In 1969, a final question was posed to the last five contestants. The final question was an on-and-off feature of the pageant. In 1990, it had taken root and every pageant since, the final contestants have to answer a final question.

In 1990, the pageant implemented major format changes in the competition itself. Instead of five finalists, the field was reduced from 10 semi-finalists to 6. Each contestant then randomly select a judge and answer the question posed by the judge. After that, the field is narrowed down further to a final 3. In 1998, the number of finalists was reduced to 5, although there still was a cut to a final 3. This continued to 2001, where the final 5 format was re-instated.

In 2000, the interview portion of the semi-finals was quietly dropped and the contestants once again, as in the early days of the pageant, competed only in swimsuit and gowns.

In 2006, twenty semi-finalists were announced, with these delegates competing in the swimsuit competition. The number of competing delegates was then cut to ten, with those delegates competing in the evening gown competition. After that round of competition, the final five was announced, with the finalists competing in the "final question" or interview round. At the end of competition the runners-up were announced and the winner crowned by the outgoing queen.

In 2007 the format changed slightly with the top 15 moving to the swimsuit competition; from there, 10 selected contestants moved on to the evening gown competition where half were eliminated. The final five answered the final question to decide the ultimate winner.

The contest today

The Miss Universe Organization, a New York-based partnership between NBC and Donald Trump, has run the contest since June 20, 2002. Jennifer Hawkins (born 22 December 1983 and the Hunter Pirates Basketball team and also worked as a model. The City of New York The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The current president is Paula Shugart. The Organization sells television rights to the pageant in other countries, and also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contests with the winner of Miss USA representing the USA in Miss Universe. The Miss USA Beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant Miss Teen USA is a Beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 15–19

Candidate selection

Each year, bids are received by the Miss Universe organizers from organizations who wish to select the Miss Universe contestant for a country. This allows competition between different pageants to hold a country's license, as happened for Miss Italy and Miss France for example, when the licenses for their respective traditional organizations were revoked (the usual Miss France competition returned in 2004).

Usually a country's candidate selection involves pageants in major cities, with the winners competing in a national pageant, but this does not always occur. For example, in 2000 Australia's national pageant was abolished as a relic of a bygone era, with Australian delegates instead chosen by a modeling agency. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A modeling agency is a company that represent fashion models, to work for the fashion industry Such "castings" are generally discouraged by the Miss Universe Organization, which prefers national pageants that preserve an aura of respectability and competition. Despite being "cast", Miss Australia, Jennifer Hawkins, was chosen as Miss Universe 2004. Jennifer Hawkins (born 22 December 1983 and the Hunter Pirates Basketball team and also worked as a model. Later that year, Australia resumed its national pageant and chose Michelle Guy as Miss Universe Australia 2005.

Some of the most successful national pageants in the last decade have been Venezuela, USA, Puerto Rico, India, South Africa, and etc which command consistently high interest and television ratings in their respective countries. The Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952 The Miss USA Beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa ^[1]Recent arrivals in the pageant include China (2002), Albania (2002), Vietnam (2004), Georgia (2004), Ethiopia (2004), Latvia (2005), Kazakhstan (2006), and Tanzania (2007); there have also been efforts to revive strong national pageants in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Canada, and the Caribbean, among other regions. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Miss Universe Canada is an annual pageant held in Canada to decide the Canadian delegate to the Miss Universe pageant

There are continually efforts to expand the pageant, but the participation of some countries such as Indonesia and Algeria has proven difficult due to cultural barriers to the swimsuit competition, while others such as Mozambique, Armenia and Nepal have baulked at sending representatives due to the cost (in fact, of all the major international pageants, the franchise fee for Miss Universe is the most expensive). As of 2007, only four countries have been present at every Miss Universe since its inception in 1952: Canada, France, Germany, and the United States. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Many European countries allow 17-year-old contestants to compete in their pageants, while Miss Universe's minimum age is 18, so national titleholders often have to be replaced by their runners-up. Miss Universe also prohibits transsexual applicants and age fabrication. Transsexualism is a condition in which a person identifies with a physical Sex different from the one with which they were born Age fabrication occurs when an individual deliberately misrepresents his or her true age

Main pageant

The main Miss Universe Pageant, as of now, is held over a two week period in May and July. Natalie Glebova, (born November 11 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 2005 In the 1970s through the 1990s, the pageant was a month long. This allowed time for rehearsals, appearances, and the preliminary competition, with the winner being crowned by the previous year's titleholder during the final competition.

According to the organizers, the Miss Universe contest is more than a beauty pageant: women aspiring to become Miss Universe must be intelligent, well-mannered, and cultured. Often a candidate has lost because she did not have a good answer during the question responses rounds; although this section of competition has held less importance during recent pageants than it did in the twentieth century. Delegates also participate in swimsuit and evening gown competitions.

Currently, the final placement of the finalists is determined by a ranked vote, where each judge ranks each of the final three/five candidates, with the contestant posting the lowest cumulative score becoming the winner. If there is a tie, which often happens when there are even members of the jury, the higher semifinal scores become decisive.

The winner is assigned a one-year contract with the Miss Universe Organization, going overseas to spread messages about the control of diseases, peace, and public awareness of AIDS. Since Donald Trump took over the pageant, the winner has been given the use of a Trump Tower apartment in New York City for use during her reign. The City of New York

Aside from the main winner and her runners-up, special awards are also awarded to the winners of the best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality is chosen by the delegates themselves. In recent years, Miss Photogenic has been chosen by popular internet vote (the winner used to be chosen by media personnel covering the event).

Final judgment

The competition for the Miss Universe title has seen many changes, although there have been several constants throughout its history. All the contestants compete in a preliminary round of judging (nowadays called the "Presentation Show") where the field is narrowed to a select number of semi-finalists. This number has fluctuated over the years. The very first Miss Universe pageant had ten semi-finalists. The next two years, the number of semi-finalists grew to 16. In 1955, the number dropped to a stable 15, which remained through 1970. In 1971, the number was reduced to 12. That number was further reduced to a mere 10 in 1984. This lasted until 2003, when the number of 15 was re-instated. In 2006, there were 20 semi-finalists, the highest number ever. In 2007, the Organization announced the Top 15 system will be back.

In the early years, the contestants were judged in swimsuit and evening gown only. In later years, the contestants also competed in a preliminary interview round in a one-on-one meeting with each individual judge.

In 2007, 77 contestants started the competition; the top 15 moving to the swimsuit competition. From there, 10 were selected for the evening gown competition which halved the contenders to 5. These final five then answered a final question to decide the winner.

Crown

The Miss Universe crown was designed by Mikimoto, the official jewellery sponsor of the Miss Universe Organization, and depicts the phoenix rising, signifying status, power and beauty. A crown is the traditional Symbolic form of Headgear worn by a Monarch or by a Deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power ( 10 March 1858 &ndash 21 September 1954) was a Japanese entrepreneur and adopter of the Mise/Nishikawa technique for production The phoenix ( Ancient Greek: Φοῖνιξ phoínix is a mythical sacred firebird in ancient mythologies starting with the Greek and later the The crown has 500 diamonds of almost 30 carats (6. In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in The carat is a unit of Mass used for measuring gems and Pearls Currently a carat is defined as exactly 200  mg (0 0 g), 120 South Sea and Akoya pearls, ranging in size from 3 to 18mm diameter and is valued at $250,000. For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. A pearl is a hard roundish object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled Mollusk. The Crown was designed specifically for the pageant on Mikimoto Pearl Island in Japan with the Mikimoto crown and tiara being first used for Miss Universe 2002. ^[2]

Miss Universe 2007

Main article: Miss Universe 2007

The 2007 Miss Universe Pageant was held at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, Mexico with peripheral events taking place in the cities of Cancún, the Mayan Riviera and Chiapas. born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant was won by Riyo Mori of Japan. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Cancún (pronounced as kanˈkun is a coastal city in Mexico 's easternmost state Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Riviera Maya, also known as the Mayan Riviera, is a Tourism district following the coastal Highway 400 which parallels the Caribbean coastline of Quintana Roo Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country ^[3] Although initial expectations were that ninety delegates would participate, only 77 candidates competed for the title with Miss Sweden withdrawing amongst complaints in her home country that the contest degrades women. Protesters in Mexico wore white dresses splashed with fake blood and sashes proclaiming Miss Juarez, Miss Atenco and Miss Michoacan alluding to places in Mexico made infamous by killings or sexual abuse of women.

The winner of Miss Universe 2007 was Riyo Mori crowned by the previous year's winner, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico. born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza (born October 3, 1987 in Cayey, Puerto Rico, and raised in Salinas, Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Ningning Zhang from China, aged 20, won the Miss Congeniality award, while Anna Theresa Licaros, aged 22, from the Philippines, was chosen as Miss Photogenic. ^[4]

The 2008 Miss Universe Pageant will be held in Nha Trang, the capital of Khanh Hoa Province in Vietnam. Miss Universe 2008, the 57th Miss Universe beauty pageant was held at the Crown Convention Center (Diamond Bay Resort in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa province, on Khánh Hòa Province ( Hán tự: 慶[[wikt 和|和]] is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Nha Trang is famous for its beautiful beaches and seaside resorts such as Vinpearl.

Recent titleholders

Further information: List of Miss Universe titleholders

Year	Miss Universe	National title	Country	Location
2007	Riyo Mori	Miss Universe Japan	Japan	Mexico City, Mexico
2006	Zuleyka Rivera	Miss Puerto Rico Universe	Puerto Rico	Los Angeles, U.S.A
2005	Natalie Glebova	Miss Universe Canada	Canada	Bangkok, Thailand
2004	Jennifer Hawkins	Miss Universe Australia	Australia	Quito, Ecuador
2003	Amelia Vega	Miss Republica Dominicana Universo	Dominican Republic	Panama City, Panama
2002	Justine Pasek	Señorita Panamá	Panama	San Juan, Puerto Rico
	Oxana Fedorova (Dethroned)	Miss Russia	Russia
2001	Denise Quiñones	Miss Puerto Rico Universe	Puerto Rico	Bayamon, Puerto Rico
2000	Lara Dutta	Femina Miss India Universe	India	Nicosia, Cyprus
1999	Mpule Kwelagobe	Miss Universe Botswana	Botswana	Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
1998	Wendy Fitzwilliam	Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe	Trinidad and Tobago	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A

Hosts and invited artists

The following is a list of finals hosts and invited artists of the previous ten years. The following is a list of women who have held the Miss Universe title. Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant was won by Riyo Mori of Japan. born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 The Miss Universe Japan Organization was created in 1998 in response to Japan's recent lack of finalists at the Miss Universe pageant For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe pageant took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza (born October 3, 1987 in Cayey, Puerto Rico, and raised in Salinas, Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Miss Universe 2005, the 54th Miss Universe pageant was held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 31, 2005. Natalie Glebova, (born November 11 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 2005 Miss Universe Canada is an annual pageant held in Canada to decide the Canadian delegate to the Miss Universe pageant Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Miss Universe 2004, the fifty-third Miss Universe pageant was held in Centro de Convenciones CEMEXPO Quito, Ecuador on June 1, 2004 Jennifer Hawkins (born 22 December 1983 and the Hunter Pirates Basketball team and also worked as a model. Miss Australia is the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest/Awards which ran from 1954 until 2000 when the last Miss Australia was named For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Quito, officially San Francisco de Quito, is the Capital of Ecuador in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The Miss Universe 2003 Pageant was held in Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. Amelia Victoria Vega Polanco de Guerra (born November 7, 1984 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic) became the first Dominican The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Panama City (Ciudad de Panamá is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. The Miss Universe 2002 pageant was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. Justine Pasek (born August 27 1979) is a Panamanian model, Goodwill ambassador, and former Miss Universe. Miss Panama is the common name or sash used to identify a Panamanian representative in an international pageant Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Oxana Fedorova ( Oksana Fyodorova, Оксана Фёдорова in Russian) (born December 17, 1977) is a Russian Miss Universe Miss Russia Pageant is a Russian Beauty pageant for young women Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Miss Universe 2001 was held at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. Denise Marie Quiñones August (born September 9, 1980 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) was the fourth Puerto Rican winner of the Miss Universe Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Miss Universe 2000, the 49th Miss Universe pageant was held at Eleftheria Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus on May 12, 2000. Lara Dutta (born April 16 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the 2000 Miss Universe. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Miss Universe 1999 was held at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago on May 26, 1999. Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Gaborone Botswana was crowned Miss Universe in May of 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago. The Miss Universe Botswana is a Beauty pageant that was first held in 1999 with winner competing in the Miss Universe pageant The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Miss Universe 1998 was held at Stan Sheriff Arena, Honolulu, USA on May 12, 1998. Wendy Marcelle Fitzwilliam, born October 4[[ 972]] is a former Miss Universe, Trinidad and Tobago 's second after 1977 winner Janelle 'Penny' Commissiong Trinidad and Tobago sent out its first Miss Universe delegate in 1963 a year after its independence from the United Kingdom. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See List of Miss Universe hosts and invited artists for the full list of hosts and invited artists.

Year	Masters of Ceremonies	Color Commentators	Special Musical Guests
2007	Vanessa Minnillo and Mario Lopez	None	RBD and music by Nelly Furtado and Sean Paul
2006	Carlos Ponce and Nancy O'Dell	Shandi Finnessey and Carson Kressley	Chelo and Vittorio Grigolo
2005	Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell	None	None
2004	Billy Bush and Daisy Fuentes	None	Gloria Estefan
2003	Billy Bush and Daisy Fuentes	None	Bond and Chayanne
2002	Phil Simms and Daisy Fuentes	Brook Mahealani Lee	Marc Anthony
2001	Elle Macpherson and Naomi Campbell	Brook Mahealani Lee and Todd Newton	Ricky Martin and La Ley
2000	Sinbad	Julie Moran and Ali Landry	Elvis Crespo, Montell Jordan, Dave Koz and Anna Vissi
1999	Jack Wagner	Julie Moran and Ali Landry	Julio Iglesias, Jr.
1998	Jack Wagner	Julie Moran and Ali Landry	K-Ci & JoJo

"League tables"

By number of wins

Country	Titles	Winning years
United States	7	1954, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1980, 1995, 1997
Puerto Rico	5	1970, 1985, 1993, 2001, 2006
Venezuela	4	1979, 1981, 1986, 1996
Sweden	3	1955, 1966, 1984
Japan	2	1959, 2007
Canada	2	1982, 2005
Australia	2	1972, 2004
India	2	1994, 2000
Trinidad and Tobago	2	1977, 1998
Thailand	2	1965, 1988
Finland	2	1952, 1975
Philippines	2	1969, 1973
Brazil	2	1963, 1968
Dominican Republic	1	2003
Panama	1	2002 (Inherited crown after Russia was dethroned)
Russia	1	2002 (Dethroned; reigned for 4 months)
Botswana	1	1999
Namibia	1	1992
Mexico	1	1991
Norway	1	1990
Netherlands	1	1989
Chile	1	1987
New Zealand	1	1983
South Africa	1	1978
Israel	1	1976
Spain	1	1974
Lebanon	1	1971
Greece	1	1964
Argentina	1	1962
Germany	1	1961
Colombia	1	1958
Peru	1	1957
France	1	1953

By country tally

Anyone who follows the Olympic Games or other sporting events will be familiar with the concept of the Medal Table, which ranks countries based on their first (gold), second (silver) and third (bronze) place finishes. Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant was won by Riyo Mori of Japan. Vanessa Joy Minnillo (born November 9, 1980) is an American television personality. Mario López Jr (born October 10, 1973) is an American Actor and Author who has appeared on several television series film RBD is a two times Latin Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teenage-oriented Telenovela Rebelde Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2 1978 is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, record producer actor and instrumentalist, who also holds Portuguese Sean Paul Henriques (born January 8 1973) in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, a few miles north of his birthplace Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe pageant took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Carlos Armando Ponce Jr (born September 4 1972) is a Puerto Rican Actor, Singer, Composer and TV personality of Nancy Humphries O'Dell (born February 25, 1966) is an American Television host and entertainment Journalist. Shandi Ren Finnessey (born June 9, 1978 in Florissant, Missouri, U Carson Lee Kressley (born November 11, 1969 in Lehigh County Pennsylvania) was the fashion expert on the American television program Jose Oscar Mejias Hernandez, better known as Chelo, is a Puerto Rican Hip-hop singer based in Miami Beach Florida recently signed with Vittorio Grigolo (b February 19, 1977, Arezzo, Italy is an Italian singer Miss Universe 2005, the 54th Miss Universe pageant was held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 31, 2005. William Hall "Billy" Bush (born October 13 1971) was the chief host/announcer of the syndicated NBC Universal TV show Nancy Humphries O'Dell (born February 25, 1966) is an American Television host and entertainment Journalist. Miss Universe 2004, the fifty-third Miss Universe pageant was held in Centro de Convenciones CEMEXPO Quito, Ecuador on June 1, 2004 William Hall "Billy" Bush (born October 13 1971) was the chief host/announcer of the syndicated NBC Universal TV show Daisy Fuentes (born November 17, 1966 in Havana, Cuba) is an American model and Actress. Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter The Miss Universe 2003 Pageant was held in Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. William Hall "Billy" Bush (born October 13 1971) was the chief host/announcer of the syndicated NBC Universal TV show Daisy Fuentes (born November 17, 1966 in Havana, Cuba) is an American model and Actress. Bond (often typeset as bond in deference to the owners of the 007 Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28 1968) best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer The Miss Universe 2002 pageant was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3 1955 in Lebanon Kentucky) is a former American football Quarterback, and currently a Television Daisy Fuentes (born November 17, 1966 in Havana, Cuba) is an American model and Actress. Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee (born January 8, 1971) aka Brook Lee, was crowned Miss Universe 1997 on May 16, 1997. Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16 1968 is an American singer/songwriter/actor of Puerto Rican descent popular in Latin America for his Salsa music Miss Universe 2001 was held at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. Elle Macpherson ( born 29 March 1964 is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman Naomi Campbell (born 22 May 1970 is an English model, Singer, Author, Actress, and Fashion designer. Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee (born January 8, 1971) aka Brook Lee, was crowned Miss Universe 1997 on May 16, 1997. James Todd Newton (born May 5, 1970 in Oakville Missouri) is an entertainment personality and a two-time Game show host. Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971) better known by his Stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy La Ley ( Spanish for "The Law" was a Grammy Award and two-time Latin Grammy Award -winning Chilean pop rock band formed by Andrés Bobe Miss Universe 2000, the 49th Miss Universe pageant was held at Eleftheria Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus on May 12, 2000. Julie Moran (born Julie Bryan on January 10, 1962 in Thomasville, Georgia) America's Junior Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21 1973 is a former Miss USA (1996 model and actress. Elvis Crespo (born July 30, 1971 in New York City, US) is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Winner Puerto Rican - Montell Jordan is an American R&B Singer-songwriter and Record producer. Dave Koz ( March 27, 1963) is an American saxophonist. Because they look and sound similar Koz often draws comparisons to another well-known Anna Vissi ( Greek: Άννα Βίσση; born December 20, 1957) is a Cypriot - Greek Singer, famous mainly Miss Universe 1999 was held at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago on May 26, 1999. Peter John "Jack" Wagner Jr (born October 3, 1959 in Washington Missouri) is an Emmy Award -nominated American Julie Moran (born Julie Bryan on January 10, 1962 in Thomasville, Georgia) America's Junior Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21 1973 is a former Miss USA (1996 model and actress. Julio José Iglesias Jr, (born 25 February 1973 in Madrid, Spain) better known as Julio Iglesias Jr Miss Universe 1998 was held at Stan Sheriff Arena, Honolulu, USA on May 12, 1998. Peter John "Jack" Wagner Jr (born October 3, 1959 in Washington Missouri) is an Emmy Award -nominated American Julie Moran (born Julie Bryan on January 10, 1962 in Thomasville, Georgia) America's Junior Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21 1973 is a former Miss USA (1996 model and actress. K-Ci & JoJo were an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Below is a similar table of the top rankings for the Miss Universe pageant, based on all results from the first event in 1952 to the most recent competition in 2007. Note that, from 1990 to 2000, there was only a "Top 3" with the third and fourth runner-ups positions eliminated. ^[5][6][7]

Rank	Country	Victories	1st Runner-Up	2nd Runner-Up	3rd Runner-Up	4th Runner-Up	Total	Semifinalists
1	United States	7	8	6	1	5	27	52
2	Puerto Rico	5	1	2	1	1	10	16
3	Venezuela	4	6	5	4	2	21	34
4	Sweden	3	1	2	3	4	13	28
5	Brazil	2	5	0	2	3	12	29
6	Finland	2	3	5	1	1	12	18
7	Australia	2	2	1	0	1	6	11
8	Japan	2	1	1	2	3	9	17
9	India	2	1	1	1	1	6	19
10	Canada	2	1	1	1	1	6	16

By continental regions

As of 2007

REGION	Titles	Best performance
Europe	12	Sweden (3), Finland (2), France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Russia° and Spain (1)
North America	10	U.S. (7), Canada (2), and Mexico (1)
South America	10	Venezuela (4), Brazil (2), Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru (1)
Asia	10	India, Philippines, Thailand, and Japan (2), Israel, and Lebanon (1)
Central America and Caribbean	9	Puerto Rico (5),Trinidad and Tobago (2), Dominican Republic, and Panama° (1)
Africa	3	Botswana, Namibia and South Africa(1)
Oceania	3	Australia (2) and New Zealand (1)

° In 2002, Russia's Oxana Fedorova won the Miss Universe crown in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Oxana Fedorova ( Oksana Fyodorova, Оксана Фёдорова in Russian) (born December 17, 1977) is a Russian Miss Universe However, she was dethroned a few months later due to her refusal to fulfill the duties stipulated in her contract. First runner-up, Panama's Justine Pasek was crowned Miss Universe for 2002. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Justine Pasek (born August 27 1979) is a Panamanian model, Goodwill ambassador, and former Miss Universe.

Trivia and statistics

Scores

• Electronic voting was introduced to television viewers in 1978 when the pageant was held in Acapulco, Mexico: for the first time in a televised pageant, the audience got to see how the judges voted. The pageant still uses a computer voting system. There is a team of three people who install, maintain, and operate the voting system. They sit somewhere in the audience area with a view of the stage, usually just in front of the accountants. They are listed in credits as “Computer Score Operators”. The same system is used for Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe.

Locations

For the full list of venues, see List of Miss Universe winners and venues. The following is a list of women who have held the Miss Universe title.

• The USA hosted the early years of the pageant (1952-1971).
  • During this period, 4 delegates were crowned Miss Universe on home turf:
    • 1954 and 1956 in Long Beach, California. Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
    • 1960 and 1967 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the
  • After this period, another Miss Universe winner was crowned on home turf:
    • Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee in Miami Beach, Florida

• In 1972, the Miss Universe Pageant was held outside the continental US for the first time, taking place in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The Miss Universe 1997 pageant was held in Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach Florida, United States, culminating in the Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District Dorado (do-RAH-do is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, 15 miles west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}

• Outside the continental US, Mexico has hosted the most Miss Universe pageants, with four. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The various locations were:
  • Mexico: Acapulco (1978), Cancún (1989), Mexico City (1993) and (2007)

• Apart from the United States and Mexico, the other territory/states to host the pageant more than once were:
  • Puerto Rico: Dorado (1972), Bayamon (2001), San Juan (2002)
  • Manila, Philippines (1974 & 1994)
  • Panama City, Panama (1986 & 2003)
  • Bangkok, Thailand (1992 & 2005)

Competing states

See also: List of Miss Universe countries

• The United States has performed the best throughout the pageant's entire history, with seven winners, eight first runners-up, six second runners-up, one third runner-up, five fourth runners-up, six finalists, and seventeen semi-finalists. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Acapulco (Officially Acapulco de Juárez) is a City and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast Cancún (pronounced as kanˈkun is a coastal city in Mexico 's easternmost state Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Miss Universe 1989 was held at Fiesta Americana Condesa Hotel Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico on May 23, 1989. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Miss Universe 1993, the 42nd Miss Universe pageant was held at Auditorio Nacional Mexico City, Mexico on May 21, 1993. Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant was won by Riyo Mori of Japan. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Dorado (do-RAH-do is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, 15 miles west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Miss Universe 2001 was held at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in The Miss Universe 2002 pageant was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. The City of Manila The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Miss Universe 1994, the 43rd Miss Universe pageant was held at Philippine International Convention Center, Manila, Philippines on May 20 Panama City (Ciudad de Panamá is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Miss Universe 1986 was held at ATLAPA Convention Center Panama City, Panama on July 21, 1986. The Miss Universe 2003 Pageant was held in Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Miss Universe 1992, the 41st Miss Universe pageant was held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand on May 8 Miss Universe 2005, the 54th Miss Universe pageant was held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 31, 2005. The following list consists of countries that to the present send delegates to the global beauty pageant Miss Universe. Miss USA has missed the semi-finals only three times: 1976 (Barbara Peterson), 1999 (Kimberly Pressler), and 2002 (Shauntay Hinton). In 1957, Leona Gage of Maryland was disqualified from the semi-finals after it was revealed that she was married and a mother.

• After the USA, Venezuela is the next most successful nation in terms of overall placements in the semi-finals (34), it is followed in turn by Brazil (29), Sweden (28), Colombia (27), Germany (21), Israel (20), England and India (both 19), Finland and Greece (both 18), Norway and Japan (both 17), Peru, South Africa, Canada, and Puerto Rico (16 each). Of these countries, only England has yet to win the contest.

• The United States has been the most successful state to compete in Miss Universe in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Venezuela has been most successful in the 1990s and 2000s. ^[8]

• The nations that have competed every single year of competition (from 1952 to date) are France, Germany, USA, and Canada. Sweden lost this distinction when it failed to send a contestant in 2005. Israel missed the pageant in 1953, while Greece was absent in 1988 (its delegate withdrew because of illness).

• Before becoming states in 1959, Alaska and Hawaii both sent delegates to the pageant during the 1950s. In fact, Miss Hawaii was 1st runner-up in 1952 and 2nd runner-up in 1958 (before winning Miss Universe as Miss USA in 1997), while Miss Alaska reached the semi-finals in 1957.

• After the USA, Venezuela ranked second in terms of consecutive placements in the semi-finals: 21 years, from 1983 to 2003, nearly beating the United States' 22-year streak between 1977-1998. While Alicia Machado has been the only Venezuelan Miss Universe in the last decade, of the nine following pageants, four have seen Venezuela's representative place first runner-up (1997, 1998, 2000, and 2003).

• Other than the USA and Venezuela, the countries that have made the semi-finals the most in a row are India (who in recent years has emerged as a pageant powerhouse) with 11 (1992-2002) consecutive placements; Germany with ten (1952 to 1961); and Finland with 8 (1962-1969).

• Colombia had three first-runner up placements in a row (1992-1994) a streak that has been unparalleled in competition history.

• Finland has had the most consecutive runners-up. For five years, from 1965 to 1969, its delegates placed among the five finalists without interruption (1965: Virpi Miettinen, first runner-up, 1966: Satu Östring, first runner-up, 1967: Ritva Lehto, third runner-up, 1968: Leena Brusiin, second runner-up, and 1969: Harriet Eriksson, first runner-up).

• Puerto Rico has had at least 1 winner in each of the last 4 decades, the only state/territory to accomplish this feat: Marisol Malaret in the 70s (1970), Deborah Carthy-Deu in the 80s (1985), Dayanara Torres in the 90s (1993), and Denise Quiñones (2001) & Zuleyka Rivera (2006) in the 2000s.

Delegates

• Miss Universe 1957, Gladys Zender from Peru was the youngest Miss Universe in history. Gladys Zender Meier (born Gladys Rosa Zender Urbina on October 19, 1939) is a Peruvian who made history in 1957, by becoming the first Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. She was 17 when she won the title.

• On three occasions, contestants that did not place in Miss World: Georgina Rizk, Angela Visser, and Mpule Kwelagobe, won Miss Universe. The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 However, no contestant who failed to place at Miss Universe has ever gone on to win Miss World.
• Eight Miss Universe delegates placed as runner-up or semi-finalist in that pageant and later won the Miss World title. The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 They were: Carmen Susana Duijim Zubillaga - semi-finalist, Venezuela 1955; Corinne Rottschafer - semi-finalist, Holland 1958; Rosemarie Frankland - First Runner-up, Wales 1961; Madeleine Hartog Bell - semi-finalist, Peru 1966; Eva Von Rueber-Staier - semi-finalist, Austria 1969; Helen Morgan - first runner-up, Wales 1974 (dethroned); Gina Ann Casandra Swainson - First Runner-up, Bermuda 1979 and Agbani Darego - semi-finalist, Nigeria 2001. Rosemarie Frankland (1943 - 2000 was a beauty pageant contestant who won the 1961 Miss United Kingdom and Miss World. Madeleine Hartog Bell won the 1967 Miss World contest representing Peru. Eva Rueber-Staier (sometimes spelled Eva Reuber-Staier) is an Austrian Actress and former Miss World. Helen Morgan (August 2 1900 – October 9 1941 was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage Gina Ann Casandra Swainson, born 1958 in Bermuda, was the first runner up in the Miss Universe contest of Miss Universe 1979. Ibiagbanidokibubo 'Agbani' Asenite Darego (born 1983 won the Miss World title in 2001

• At 64 inches (1. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 63 m) tall, Miss Thailand 1965, Apasra Hongsakula is the shortest Miss Universe ever crowned. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International

• In 1957, Miss USA Mary Leona Gage was disqualified for being married, though she had qualified for the semi-finals. The Miss USA Beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant Leona Gage (born Mary Leona Gage in 1939 Longview, Texas) won the title of Miss USA in 1957 representing the state of Maryland She was replaced by Miss Argentina.

• Amparo Muñoz of Spain, Miss Universe 1974, was dethroned shortly before her reign ended and did not crown her successor, but she was not formally replaced. Amparo Muñoz Quesada (born June 22, 1954) is a Spanish actress who in 1974 became the first and so far only Spaniard to win the Miss Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Amparo's runner-up, Helen Morgan of Wales, went on to represent the United Kingdom in the Miss World pageant later that same year. Helen Elizabeth Morgan (born 1951 of Barry, Wales, is the 1974 winner of the Miss United Kingdom Pageant. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 She won, only to resign a few days later when she was revealed to be an unwed mother.

• Irene Sáez, Miss Universe 1981, ran for President of Venezuela in 1998 (losing to Hugo Chávez), after having been elected mayor of Chacao in 1992 and governor of Margarita Island in 1999 . Mona Irene Lailin Sáez Conde (born 13 December 1961 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a former Venezuelan politician and also a former Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela.

• Trinidad & Tobago's Janelle Commissiong became the first woman of black descent to be crowned Miss Universe, in 1977 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Born in Trinidad and Tobago Commissiong migrated to the United States at the age of 13 and returned to Trinidad and Tobago ten years later The first black African to win Miss Universe of was Mpule Kwelagobe, of Botswana, crowned in 1999 at Chaguaramas, Trinidad & Tobago. Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Gaborone Botswana was crowned Miss Universe in May of 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Only once have black women won Miss Universe in succession. Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad & Tobago won the title in 1998, followed by Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana in 1999. Wendy Marcelle Fitzwilliam, born October 4[[ 972]] is a former Miss Universe, Trinidad and Tobago 's second after 1977 winner Janelle 'Penny' Commissiong Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Gaborone Botswana was crowned Miss Universe in May of 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Andrea Stelzer was Miss South Africa in 1985, but pulled out of Miss Universe because of anti-apartheid demonstrations. Miss South Africa is a beauty pageant that began in 1952 The winner of the pageant represents South Africa at the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants She competed in 1989 as Miss Germany, and was a top 10 semi-finalist.

• Miss Lebanon 2001, Christina Sawaya, pulled out of the 2002 Miss Universe competition because of the participation of Miss Israel. Miss Lebanon - Lebanon's Official National Beauty Pageant ( Arabic: انتخابات ملكة جمال لبنان) is a Beauty contest in Lebanon She went on to win the rival Miss International competition in the same year. Miss International (officially titled The International Beauty Pageant) is the fourth largest Beauty pageant in the world

• 2002's winner, Oxana Fedorova of Russia, became the first Miss Universe who officially did not finish her reign, making first runner-up Justine Pasek the first Panamanian to hold the title. Oxana Fedorova ( Oksana Fyodorova, Оксана Фёдорова in Russian) (born December 17, 1977) is a Russian Miss Universe Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Justine Pasek (born August 27 1979) is a Panamanian model, Goodwill ambassador, and former Miss Universe. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Fedorova was crowned in Puerto Rico in mid-May, and was replaced by Pasek in late September. It is unclear whether Fedorova was fired for failure to perform her duties (the official version), or chose to resign because she had not expected the heavy workload.

• The strong rivalry between Puerto Rico and Venezuela is so well-known in Latin-American popular culture, that their struggle has been immortalized in several Spanish-language television commercials in the United States for such companies as MasterCard and Budweiser. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the MasterCard Worldwide ( is a multinational corporation based in Purchase, New York, USA. Budweiser is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. In the latter, former Miss Universe winners Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico and Alicia Machado of Venezuela cause mayhem in a sports bar as they compete to win the admiration of the men present. Dayanara Tórres Delgado popularly known as "Yari" in the Philippines (born on October 28, 1974 in San Juan Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican Yoseph Alicia Machado Fajardo (born December 6, 1976) commonly known as Alicia Machado, was the fourth woman from Venezuela to win the

• A new trend of delegates representing countries they were not born in has developed. Miss Universe 2002 Justine Pasek was born in Kharkiv Ukraine, where her Panamanian mother was completing her University studies. Justine Pasek (born August 27 1979) is a Panamanian model, Goodwill ambassador, and former Miss Universe. Kharkiv or Kharkov (Харків Харьков is the second largest city in Ukraine. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Miss Israel 2005, Elena Ralph was also born in Ukraine and moved to Israel when she was 18 years old. Elena Ralph (born 1984, in Donetsk, Ukraine) is a beauty queen who has represented Israel in the Miss The most famous country-swapper was probably Natascha Borger. Natascha Vanessa Börger Sevilla (* 1981 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a former German model and multiple beauty queen After placing 12th in the 2000 Venezuelan pageant she moved to Germany where she easily won the crown of Miss Deutschland. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Miss Germany is a national Beauty pageant for unmarried women in Germany. Other notable contestants who represent countries other than their birth place include the Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova who is Russian by birth, Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian who is Bulgarian by birth, Miss Germany Universe 2006 Natalie Ackermann who is Colombian by birth, and Venezuelan born Francis Barraza Sudnicka representing Poland. Natalie Glebova, (born November 11 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 2005 Alice Panikian (born May 23, 1985 in Sofia, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian - Canadian model who was crowned Miss Such is also reflected in the growing number of delegates from different parts of the world being sent to a third country (almost always Latin American) for further training before going on to the host country and compete in the pageant proper.

• In 1999, Botswana sent Mpule Kwelagobe as its first ever delegate to the pageant and she won. Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Gaborone Botswana was crowned Miss Universe in May of 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.

• In 2007 Jamaica sent the first ever Rastafari contestant. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament

• In 2007, Riyo Mori of Japan was crowned in Mexico City, Mexico in another controversial competition. born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico All ten finalists were brunettes. When Miss Mexico failed to make the final cut, the crowd loudly booed Miss USA who did pass despite falling over in the evening gown competition. Interestingly, two delegates who fell wearing their evening gowns advanced to the final question round. They were Miriam Quiambao, Miss Philippines 1999 who tripped and gracefully recovered during the preliminaries; and Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007 who slipped during the evening gown competition. Miriam Quiambao is a Television personality and a former Beauty queen from the Philippines. Binibining Pilipinas or Miss Philippines is the most prestigious Beauty pageant in the Philippines. Book design is the art of incorporating the content style, format, Design, and sequence of the various components of a Book into a coherent Rachel Renee Smith (born April 18, 1985 in Panama) is a beauty queen from Clarksville Tennessee who won the Miss USA pageant in 2007 The Miss USA Beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant An evening gown is a long flowing lady's Dress usually worn to a formal affair Quiambao managed to place as first runner-up while Smith ended up as 4th runner-up.

Winners

• Natalie Glebova of Canada, Miss Universe 2005 reigned for the longest period in Miss Universe history: one year and two months from the time she was crowned on May 31, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand. Natalie Glebova, (born November 11 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 2005 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

• There are only ten winners from Asia. Most of these winners represented four countries from East and Southeast Asia, each country having two titleholders each. They are Akiko Kojima and Riyo Mori of Japan in 1959 and 2007, Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran of the Philippines in 1969 and 1973 respectively, Apasra Hongsakula and Porntip Nakhirunkanok of Thailand in 1965 and 1988, and Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta of India in 1994 and 2000. ( October 29 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese model The first Miss Universe to originate from Asia Akiko was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo Japan when born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (born 1950 is a veteran in Philippine cinema, and the first Filipino to bring home the Miss Universe crown Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo, (born Maria Margarita Roxas Moran) from the Philippines, won the Miss Universe crown in 1973 in Athens, The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Porntip "Bui" Nakhirunkanok aka Porntip "Bui" Simon (born February 7, 1968 in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand; The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Sushmita Sen ( Shushmita Sen, Hindi, सुष्मिता सेन Suśmitā Sen was born on November 19, 1975 in Kolkata West Bengal Lara Dutta (born April 16 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the 2000 Miss Universe. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The two other winners were from Western Asia, Georgina Rizk of Lebanon in 1971 and Rina Messinger of Israel in 1976. Georgina Rizk ( جورجينا رزق sometimes listed under other sources as Georgia Risk, was Lebanon 's first and so far only Miss Universe. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Rina Mor (רינה מור surname originally Messinger, now Mor-Goder; b For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

• Eleven contestants of Asian descent have won the pageant: Akiko Kojima and Riyo Mori of Japan in 1959 and 2007, Apasra Hongsakula and Porntip Nakhirunkanok of Thailand in 1965 and 1988, Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran of the Philippines in 1969 and 1973, Georgina Rizk of Lebanon in 1971, Rina Messinger of Israel in 1976, Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta of India in 1994 and 2000, and Brook Mahaelani Lee from the state of Hawaii in 1997. ( October 29 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese model The first Miss Universe to originate from Asia Akiko was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo Japan when born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 Porntip "Bui" Nakhirunkanok aka Porntip "Bui" Simon (born February 7, 1968 in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand; Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (born 1950 is a veteran in Philippine cinema, and the first Filipino to bring home the Miss Universe crown Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo, (born Maria Margarita Roxas Moran) from the Philippines, won the Miss Universe crown in 1973 in Athens, Georgina Rizk ( جورجينا رزق sometimes listed under other sources as Georgia Risk, was Lebanon 's first and so far only Miss Universe. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Rina Mor (רינה מור surname originally Messinger, now Mor-Goder; b For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Sushmita Sen ( Shushmita Sen, Hindi, सुष्मिता सेन Suśmitā Sen was born on November 19, 1975 in Kolkata West Bengal Lara Dutta (born April 16 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the 2000 Miss Universe. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee (born January 8, 1971) aka Brook Lee, was crowned Miss Universe 1997 on May 16, 1997.

• In April 2006, a reunion of former titleholders took place in New York City to celebrate the launch of the book "Universal Beauty" by Cara Birnbaum. The reunion included Sylvia Hitchcock (1967, USA); Margaret Gardiner (1978, South Africa); Yvonne Ryding (1984, Sweden); Deborah Carthy-Deu (1985, Puerto Rico); Barbara Palacios Teyde (1986, Venezuela); Porntip Nakhirunkanok (1988, Thailand); Mona Grudt (1990, Norway); Lupita Jones (1991, Mexico); Michelle McLean (1992, Namibia); Brook Lee (1997, USA); Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998, Trinidad & Tobago); Denise Quiñones (2001, Puerto Rico); Justine Pasek (2002, Panama); Amelia Vega (2003, Dominican Republic) and Natalie Glebova(2005, Canada). Sylvia Louise Hitchcock won the title of Miss Alabama USA in 1967 and went on to be crowned Miss USA. Margaret Gardiner, from Woodstock, South Africa is the winner of the Miss Universe pageant in 1978 Yvonne Agneta Ryding (born December 14, 1962) from Eskilstuna, Sweden, was the Miss Universe titleholder for the year 1984 Deborah Fátima Carthy Deu (born January 5 1966) in Santurce Puerto Rico. Bárbara Pérez Hernández (born December 9, 1963) better known simply as Bárbara Palacios, is the third contestant from Venezuela to win the Miss Porntip "Bui" Nakhirunkanok aka Porntip "Bui" Simon (born February 7, 1968 in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand; Mona Grudt Bittrick (born April 6 1971 in Hell, Stjørdal, Norway) a green-eyed Redhead, became the first Norwegian Lupita Jones (born María Guadalupe Jones Garay on September 6, 1968 in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico) became Michelle McLean was crowned Miss Universe in 1992 She represented Namibia, and became the first contestant from Namibia to win the crown Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee (born January 8, 1971) aka Brook Lee, was crowned Miss Universe 1997 on May 16, 1997. Wendy Marcelle Fitzwilliam, born October 4[[ 972]] is a former Miss Universe, Trinidad and Tobago 's second after 1977 winner Janelle 'Penny' Commissiong Denise Marie Quiñones August (born September 9, 1980 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) was the fourth Puerto Rican winner of the Miss Universe Justine Pasek (born August 27 1979) is a Panamanian model, Goodwill ambassador, and former Miss Universe. Amelia Victoria Vega Polanco de Guerra (born November 7, 1984 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic) became the first Dominican Natalie Glebova, (born November 11 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 2005

• Miss Universe 2000, Lara Dutta's (India) finalist interview was the highest individual score in any category in the history of the Miss Universe contest, as her perfect interview saw a majority of the judges giving her the maximum 9. Lara Dutta (born April 16 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the 2000 Miss Universe. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 99 mark. It was the last year such scores were televised until 2007.

• Highest Televised Scores in the Semi-Finals:

Swimsuit competition - 9. 88 by Oxana Fedorova of Russia in 2002. Oxana Fedorova ( Oksana Fyodorova, Оксана Фёдорова in Russian) (born December 17, 1977) is a Russian Miss Universe

Interview competition - 9. 843 by Milka Chulina of Venezuela in 1993.

Evening Gown competition - 9. 897 by Carolina Gomez Correa of Colombia in 1994.

• The largest interval between a nation winning Miss Universe (at present) is Japan; Akiko Kojima won the title in 1959 and, 48 years later, Riyo Mori became the second recipient from Japan. ( October 29 1936 in Tokyo) is a Japanese model The first Miss Universe to originate from Asia Akiko was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo Japan when born December 24, 1986 in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan is a Japanese dance instructor who won the Miss Universe 2007 title in May 2007 The shortest gap is two years; USA won in 1954 and 1956, then in 1995 and 1997 and Venezuela won in 1979 and 1981. Curiously, between the Venezuelan triumphs of 1979 and 1981, the winner was from the USA, and between the two USA wins in 1995 and 1997, the winner was from Venezuela.

Awards

Further information: Miss Universe special awards

• The Philippines has won the Miss Photogenic award seven times (including a back-to-back and a three-peat), followed by the UK and Puerto Rico, both with five. The following tables list the winners of the special awards given to candidates at the Miss Universe pageant during the finals night. Binibining Pilipinas or Miss Philippines is the most prestigious Beauty pageant in the Philippines. Puerto Rico won its five awards during a six-year period (1999-2004, did not win in 2000).

• Colombia has won the Best National Costume Award six times.

• Guam has won the Miss Congeniality award four times.

• No Miss Congeniality has ever gone on to win Miss Universe. The closest was Miss El Salvador 1955, who was 1st runner-up.

• The only Miss Universe to win 3 other awards on pageant night was Denise Quiñones (Miss Puerto Rico), who in 2001 also won Miss Photogenic, Bluepoint Swimsuit Award, and Clairol Best Style Award.

• Four Miss Universe winners were awarded Miss Photogenic: Margareta Arvidsson (Sweden, 1966), Margarita Moran (Philippines, 1973), Janelle Commissiong (Trinidad/Tobago, 1977) and Denise Quiñones (Puerto Rico, 2001)

• Three titleholders have also won Best National Costume: Porntip Nakhirunkanok (Thailand, 1988), Wendy Fitzwilliams (Trinidad/Tobago, 1998) and Amelia Vega (Dominican Republic, 2003)

The Miss Universe Creed

From 1960 to 1990, the Miss Universe Creed was read at each pageant:

"We, the young women of the universe, believe people everywhere are seeking peace, tolerance and mutual understanding. We pledge to spread this message in every way we can, wherever we go. "

Controversies

• Armi Kuusela of Finland was the first Miss Universe in 1952. She resigned to get married a month before her reign ended, the first international beauty queen to do so, but retained her title.

• Miss Universe 1974, Amparo Munoz, resigned her title six months into her reign. Amparo Muñoz Quesada (born June 22, 1954) is a Spanish actress who in 1974 became the first and so far only Spaniard to win the Miss The title was not offered to first runner-up Helen Morgan who by then had also won the 1974 Miss World pageant. Morgan resigned several days later when it was revealed she was an unmarried mother.

• In 1993, Miss USA Kenya Moore was booed during the pageant held in Mexico. Kenya Summer Moore (born January 24, 1971) is an American Film and Television actress Model and Author Fourteen years later, Rachel Smith of USA was also booed in Mexico. Rachel Renee Smith (born April 18, 1985 in Panama) is a beauty queen from Clarksville Tennessee who won the Miss USA pageant in 2007

• Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, of Venezuela, was warned by the organization because she exceeded the maximum weight required during her reign, but the requirement was not enforced.

References

External links

• Miss Universe official website

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