10 Interesting facts about the Miss Universe pageant

Miss Universe 2015, will be the 63rd Miss Universe pageant, to be held on January 25, 2015 at the FIU Arena at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, USA. Miss Universe is an international pageant since 1952, here is some interesting trivia about the Miss Universe.

1. FIRST MISS UNIVERSE GAVE UP HER CROWN FOR MARRIAGE

Miss Universe 1952 Armi Kuusela Williams
Miss Universe 1952 Armi Kuusela Williams

Do you have the courage giving up your title like ‘Miss Universe’? The first Miss Universe in 1952, Armi Kuusela of Finland, gave up her crown as she wished to marry the love of her life. Shortly before her one year reign as the Miss Universe ended, she chose to give up her crown and title crown to marry Virgilio Hilario in Tokyo and she had five children with him.

 

 

 

 

2. THE YOUNGEST MISS UNIVERSE

miss universe 1957-gladys zender
Miss Universe 1957 Gladys Zender

Miss Universe 1957, Gladys Zender from Peru was the youngest Miss Universe in history. After being crowned, it was revealed that she was only 17 years old, a few months under the contest’s minimum age requirement. Pageant officials decided that she could keep the crown, after they were told she was considered to be 18 in Peru.

 

 

 

 

3. THE SHORTEST MISS UNIVERSE

Miss Universe 1965 Apasra Hongsakula
Miss Universe 1965 Apasra Hongsakula

The record for being shortest winner is held by two winners – Miss Universe 1958, Luz Marina Zuluaga from Columbia and Miss Universe 1965, Apasra Hongsakula from Thailand is the shortest Miss Universe ever crowned.

 

 

 

 

 

4. A MISS UNIVERSE WAS ABOUT TO “EXCEED WEIGHT”

Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado

Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado of Venezuela was warned by the Miss Universe organization as she had exceeded the maximum weight required during her reign and was possibly dethroned, but the requirement was not enforced.

 

 

 

 

 

5. PREGNANT WAS A SIGN OF FEMININITY

Miss Universe 1999 Mpule Kwelagobe
Miss Universe 1999 Mpule Kwelagobe

Miss Guam Universe Trisha Elaine Heflin was disqualified from participating in the Miss Universe 1999 for being pregnant. However, The Miss Universe 1999, Mpule Kwelagobe won the title that year as her final question of the night was, whether she thought a Miss Universe who became pregnant should be allowed to continue her reign, to which she replied, a Miss Universe should be allowed to continue her reign as being pregnant was a sign of femininity, which Miss Universe stands for.

 

 

 

6. AIR LIFTED NATIONAL COSTUME

Miss Universe 1992 Pamela Zarza
Miss Universe 1992 Pamela Zarza

Miss Paraguay Universe 1992 Pamela Zarza’s national costume measured 12 feet in height and 7 feet in width and had to be airlifted from her country.

 

 

 

 

 

7. NO MISS CONGENIALITY IS MISS UNIVERSE

Miss Universe 2011
Miss Universe 2011

It is interesting to note that no winner of the Miss Congeniality Award has ever gone to win the Miss Universe title In its entire pageant history.

 

 

 

 

 

8. STAGE COLLAPSED DURING MISS UNIVERSE 1979

stage-collapse
Stage Collapsed During Miss Universe 1979

In Perth, Australia, Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela was crowned as Miss Universe 1979 but at the same time, another news item shared the spotlight when moments after the coronation, the stage collapsed. A group of candidates fell on the hole which saw Misses Malta (Dian Borg Bartolo) and Turkey (Fusin Tahire Dermitan) getting a concussion and badly bruised, respectively.

 

 

 

 

9. MOST WINNERS OF MISS UNIVERSE ARE FROM USA

miss universe 2012 Olivia Culpo
Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo

With a total of 8 winners, USA has the most Miss Universe. They are Miriam Stevenson (1954), Carol Morris (1956), Linda Bement (1960), Sylvia Hitchcock (1967), Shawn Weatherly (1980), Chelsi Smith (1995), Brook Lee (1997), and Olivia Culpo (2012).

 

 

 

 

10. MOST NUMBER OF MISS PHOTOGENIC AWARD BELONGS TO PHILIPPINE

Anna Theresa Licaros (2007)
Anna Theresa Licaros

On the other hand, The Philippines has the most number of Miss Photogenic award, the seven beauty queens who got the honor are Vida Valentina Doria (1971), Maria Margarita Moran (1973), Ailleen Damiles (1996), Abbygale Arenas (1997), Gionna Cabrera (2005), Lia Andrea Ramos (2006), and Anna Theresa Licaros (2007).