Miss Universe
The Miss Universe beauty contest has been held since 1952 (not to be confused with the similar Miss World; of course the scope for Miss Universe is not really wider than Earth).The process of electing Miss Universe is a long one. Countries which want to participate must first hold contests in each city to elect a candidate to become the country's representative in Miss Universe. Then the country must elect a candidate from among the women selected by each city. For example, in Finland, Miss Helsinki must compete against the women selected by the other Finnish cities. Once a country has selected a candidate from among the women selected by its cities, that candidate goes on to compete for the title of Miss Universe.
According to the organisers, the Miss Universe contest isn't won just on looks. Women who aspire to become Miss Universe must be intelligent, well-mannered and cultured. Many times, a candidate has lost the contest because she did not have a good answer to a question on the contest's question and answer round.
The first winner in 1952 was Armi Kuusela from Finland. There are 4 Venezuelan Miss Universes, 4 Puerto Rican Miss Universes and 7 Americans. Many other countries have won the contest once or twice.
One Miss Universe, 1981's Irene Saez, ran for President in Venezuela, losing to Hugo Chavez. Yet another one, 2002's winner Oxana Fedorova of Russia, became the first one to be stripped of her crown, making first runner up Justine Pasek of Panama, the first Panamanian ever to hold the title.
The Miss Universe contest's central offices are in New York, and the contest is held in different cities each year.
| Year | Miss Universe | From |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Armi Kuusela | Finland |
| 1953 | Christiane Martel | France |
| 1954 | Miriam Stevenson | USA |
| 1955 | Hillevi Rombin | Sweden |
| 1956 | Carol Morris | USA |
| 1957 | Gladys Zender | Peru |
| 1958 | Luz Marina Zuluaga | Colombia |
| 1959 | Akiko Kojima | Japan |
| 1960 | Linda Bement | USA |
| 1961 | Marlene Schmidt | Germany |
| 1962 | Norma Nolan | Argentina |
| 1963 | Idea Maria Vargas | Brazil |
| 1964 | Corinna Tsopei | Greece |
| 1965 | Apasra Hongsakula | Thailand |
| 1966 | Margareta Arvidsson | Sweden |
| 1967 | Sylvia Hitchcock | USA |
| 1968 | Martha Vasconcellos | Brazil |
| 1969 | Gloria Diaz | Philippines |
| 1970 | Marisol Malaret | Puerto Rico |
| 1971 | Georgia Risk | Lebanon |
| 1972 | Kerry Anne Wells | Australia |
| 1973 | Margarita Moran | Philippines |
| 1974 | Amparo Muñoz | Spain |
| 1975 | Anne Marie Pohtamo | Finland |
| 1976 | Rina Messinger | Israel |
| 1977 | Janelle Commisiong | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1978 | Margarett Gardiner | South Africa |
| 1979 | Maritza Sayalero | Venezuela |
| 1980 | Shawn Weatherly | USA |
| 1981 | Irene Saez | Venezuela |
| 1982 | Karen Diane Baldwin | Canada |
| 1983 | Lorraine Downes | New Zealand |
| 1984 | Yvon Ryding | Sweden |
| 1985 | Deborah Carthy-Deu | Puerto Rico |
| 1986 | Bárbara Palacios Teyde | Venezuela |
| 1987 | Cecilia Bolocco | Chile |
| 1988 | Porntip Nakhirunkanok | Thailand |
| 1989 | Angela Visser | Holland |
| 1990 | Mona Grudt | Norway |
| 1991 | Lupita Jones | Mexico |
| 1992 | Michelle Mc Lean | Namibia |
| 1993 | Dayanara Torres | Puerto Rico |
| 1994 | Sushmita Sen | India |
| 1995 | Chelsi Smith | United States |
| 1996 | Alicia Machado | Venezuela |
| 1997 | Brook Lee | United States |
| 1998 | Wendy Fitzwilliam | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1999 | Mpule Kwelagobe | Botswana |
| 2000 | Lara Dutta | India |
| 2001 | Denise Quiñones | Puerto Rico |
| 2002 | Oxana Fedorova | Russia |
| Justine Pasek | Panama | |
| 2003 | Amelia Vega | Dominican Republic |
