| "> | | | | make the semi-finals of Miss Universe Panama '86, but |
| California'55 | | | | seven years later she, who is half Peruvian, became |
| Like Brazil and the States, Sweden was one of the | | | | one of the world's top super-models in the 90s, |
| world's beauty pageant superpowers in the 50s and | | | | alongside names like Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, and |
| 60s. In 1955, this Nordic nation won the global title. | | | | Naomi Campbell. |
| Long Beach '58 | | | | Taipei'88 |
| Surprisingly, Dutch Guiana - present-day Suriname | | | | Four beauty queens from Asia -Thailand (Porntip |
| (South America) -- was one of the 15 semi-finalists, but | | | | Nakhirunkanok), South Korea (Yunjung Chang), Japan |
| did not make the list of the five finalists. | | | | (Mizuho Sakaguchi), & Hong Kong (Pauline Yeung) |
| Miami '61 | | | | -- were among the top five finalists. In this edition, Miss |
| Miss Universe 1961 Marlene Schmidt was born in the | | | | Thailand was crowned Miss Universe 1988. Apart from |
| former East Germany, but she moved to West | | | | winning the universal trophy, she also won the "Best |
| Germany in search of political tranquility and new | | | | national Costume". In Taiwan, Nakhirunkanok ended |
| opportunities. She was the first and only German to | | | | Latin America's three year domination of international |
| win the international award. | | | | pageant. The three past events had been won by |
| America '65 | | | | Deborah Carthy-Deu (Puerto Rico/1985), Barbara |
| After winning the event, Aspara Hangsakula (Thailand) | | | | Palacios (Venezuela/1986) and Cecilia Bolocco (Chile |
| embarked on a world tour, making stops in the United | | | | 1987). Mexico's Amanda Olivares was the only one to |
| States, Asia and Latin America. The dark-eyed girl is | | | | challenge the Asian supremacy: She finished third in |
| Thailand's most famous beauty queen. | | | | the global contest. |
| Florida '66 | | | | Cancun'89 |
| Inspired by Hangsakula's victory, Thailand's | | | | After falling from the Miss World Pageant in Spain/ UK, |
| representative Jeeranum Savettanum was second | | | | Angela Visser, Miss Holland, became Miss Universe in |
| runner-up. | | | | Cancun. According to experts on Miss Universe, the |
| Miami '71 | | | | blue-eyed woman, an ex fashion model from |
| Lebanon's Miss Universe Georgina Rizk, a native of | | | | Rotterdam, was one of the most beautiful beauty |
| Beirut, was the one of the first Miss Universes to | | | | queens of the Twentieth century. |
| appear on a national postage stamp. She, who | | | | Las Vegas '91 |
| participated in Miss World, is about five feet seven | | | | Ireland's representative Siobhan McClaferty, |
| inches tall (she is taller than Grace Kelly, Princess of | | | | 20-year-old hostess, did not make the list of the 10 |
| Monaco ), weights 121 pounds and measures 35-25-35. | | | | semi-finalists, but won the Miss Photogenic award. Miss |
| In addition to this, Miss Lebanon Universe speaks four | | | | Ireland Universe, a blue-eyed girl, finished 19th (swimsuit: |
| foreign languages. | | | | 8.08 points/ interview: 8.88/ evening gown: 8.44) in the |
| El Salvador '75 | | | | international contest in Nevada. Curiously, she came |
| One of the most famous archaeological treasures in | | | | close to winning the 1990 Miss World -- MU's rival - in |
| Central America, the Tazumal pyramid, was selected | | | | the United Kingdom. |
| by the Miss Universe Organization as the symbol of | | | | Bangkok '92 |
| the 23rd Miss Universe 1975 in San Salvador (El | | | | Suriname - the only Dutch-speaking republic in the |
| Salvador). | | | | Americas - finished in the last place: 78th. |
| Acapulco '78 | | | | From Thailand'92 to Manila'94 |
| Dewi Sukarno, former first Lady of Indonesia, was one | | | | By 1994, Miss Colombia placed second for the third |
| of the international judges, along with Mario Moreno | | | | consecutive year. Unfortunately, the South American |
| Cantinflas (Mexico's actor), Ursula Andress (Sweden's | | | | country has not won a MU trophy in 51 years! |
| actress) and other famous celebrities. Dewi was the | | | | Las Vegas '96 |
| wife of former dictator Achmed Sukarno, one of the | | | | In the preliminaries, Miss India had the highest score in |
| most brutal rulers in the 20th century. | | | | the interviews: 9.48 points, ahead of Venezuela (9.43), |
| Perth '79 | | | | USA (9.37), Peru (9.36), Chile (9.28), El Salvador (9.26), |
| In the face of international sanctions, Bophuthatswana, | | | | Trinidad & Tobago (9.23) and Norway (9.19). India's |
| it was not recognized by the United Nations and | | | | contestant Sandhya Chib made the top ten , but was |
| Washington, sent a representative to Australia, site of | | | | not one of the finalists. |
| the beauty contest. Unfortunately, Bophuthatswana's | | | | Trinidad Tobago'99 |
| delegate, Alina Moeketse,a black girl, did not make the | | | | The African republic of Bostwana - an obscure |
| list of the 12 semi-finalists. Like Transkei, Venda, and | | | | country that had never won a beauty contest- earned |
| Ciskei, Bophuthatswana was founded by the former | | | | the global competition in the Caribbean. It was the first |
| South African apartheid regime. | | | | time since Namibia (1992) that an obscure nation had |
| Perth'79 & Paradise Island'09 | | | | won the prize. |
| Venezuela is often seen as a model for Miss Universe | | | | Los Angeles '06 |
| Pageant on Earth. In 1979, Venezuela's representative | | | | This year Puerto Rico won its fourth Miss Universe |
| Maritza Sayalero was elected MU in Oceania. In | | | | award after finishing second in the 2005 Miss Universe |
| August 2009, this rich-oil country was the first country | | | | in Bangkok, Thailand. There were a number of |
| to win back-to-back Miss Universe finals. Between | | | | celebrations in the island, after Zuleyka Rivera won the |
| 1979 to 2009, the Latin nation has won six global | | | | universal title in North America. |
| crowns: Australia'79, New York' 81, Panama '86, Las | | | | Paradise Island '09 |
| Vegas '96, Vietnam'08 & Paradise Island '09. | | | | According to MU experts, Miss France, Chloe Mortaud, |
| New York City '81 | | | | was the pre-pageant favorite to win the MU title in |
| Venezuela's Irene Saez Conde, 18-year-old, did not | | | | The Bahamas, ahead of Rachael Anne Finch |
| learn English until that she won the Miss Universe | | | | (Australia), Ada Aimèe de la Cruz (Dominican |
| award in the United States in July 1981.During her reign, | | | | Republic), Iveta Lutokska (Czech Republic) and China |
| under the watchful eye of her professor, Joseph | | | | (Wang Jungyao). Surprisingly, she, a dual |
| Nassif, she learned to speak English very well. | | | | French-American citizen, did not make the top 5, and |
| Panama City '86 | | | | finished sixth. France's Mortaud was the first black to |
| Miss Denmark, Helena Christensen, who had received | | | | be named favorite since Vanessa Mendoza, Miss |
| little mention in the Panamanian press, did not even | | | | Colombia, in 2002. |