Miss Universe Past Winners and Some Interesting Facts

23 Nov 2023 | Aakanksha Chugh

Miss Universe Miss Universe 2017 Pia Alonso Wurtzbach Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray Demi Leigh Nel Peters Finals Philippines South Africa United States of America Africa Asia North America

Miss Universe pageant commenced in 1952, and the first ever beauty to be crowned Miss Universe was Armi Kuusela from Finland. Since then sixty-eight editions of the pageant have taken place, the recent being Miss Universe 2019 and the reigning queen is South African beauty Zozibini Tunzi.

Let's look at some interesting facts about Miss Universe pageant and its winners –

a) First time winners from each continent are - Armi Kuusela (Finland, Europe) Miss Universe 1952, Miriam Stevenson (Unites States, North America) Miss Universe 1954, Gladys Zender (Peru, South America) Miss Universe 1957, Akiko Kojima (Japan, Asia) Miss Universe 1959, Kerry Anne Wells (Australia, Oceania) Miss Universe 1972, and Margaret Gardiner (South Africa, Africa) Miss Universe 1978.

b) Armi Kuusela from Finland, the first-ever Miss Universe in 1952, gave up her title, though not officially, to get married, shortly before her year was completed.

c) USA has so far won the maximum number of Miss Universe titles (8), followed by Venezuela (7), Puerto Rico (5) and the Philippines (4).

d) Continent-wise, beauties from Africa have won Miss Universe title 6 times, Asia has won 12 titles, Europe has won 12 titles (excluding dethronement), North America has won 21 titles (including replacement of dethroned winner), Oceania has won 3 titles, and South America has won 14 titles. North American beauties (including Central American countries) lead the tally of Miss Universe wins.

e) Miss Universe 2002, Oxana Fedorova of Russia, became the first ever (and till date only) titleholder to be dethroned. She was stripped of her title due to 'failing to function' in her responsibilities as Miss Universe. Her responsibilities were assumed by the first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama after her official dethronement on 23rd September 2002, four months after being crowned. Rumours were that she was secretly married and was pregnant, and was dethroned because of that.

f) Leila Lopes of Angola enjoyed the longest reign period of 464 days (12th September 2011 – 18th December 2012).

g) Excluding the year of dethronement, the shortest completed reign as Miss Universe is that of Iris Mittenaere of France for 300 days (30th January 2017 to 25th November 2017).

h) Seven times so far the winners have been crowned when the pageant was held in their home countries. These winners are - Miriam Stevenson Miss Universe 1954 (USA), Carol Morris Miss Universe 1956 (USA), Linda Bement Miss Universe 1960 (USA), Sylvia Hitchcock – Miss Universe 1967 (USA), Brook Lee – Miss Universe 1997 (USA), Olivia Culpo Miss Universe 2012 (USA) and Denise Quiñones Miss Universe 2001 (Puerto Rico).

i) The oldest winner in the pageant’s history is USA’s Brooke Lee who won Miss Universe 1997 when she was 26 years and 128 days old.

j) The youngest Miss Universe winners have been France's Christiane Martel Miss Universe 1953 (17 years and 181 days old), Peru's Gladys Zender Miss Universe 1957 (17 years and 274 days old) and Finland’s Armi Kuusela Miss Universe 1952 (17 years and 312 days old). All of them were crowned before they turned 18, and all other winners of Miss Universe are above 18.

k) Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza and Stefanía Fernández are the only winners to win Miss Universe titles for their country consecutively in the year 2008 and 2009.

l) Miss Universe had the maximum number of delegates in 2018 (94), while the least number of delegates to participate in Miss Universe was witnessed in 1953 (26).

Rbonnie Gabriel Miss Universe 2022