Newsletters
Entertainment
Gabbi Shaw
- The very first Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952.
- Since then, more than 70 women have won the crown.
- The 2023 Miss Universe pageant will be held on November 18.
Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
Advertisem*nt
The very first Miss Universe was 18-year-old Armi Kuusela, who represented Finland.
Since then, over 70 women from all corners of the world have been awarded the coveted crown.
Ahead of the 72nd Miss Universe pageant on Saturday, November 18, we're taking a look back through Miss Universe's long history to see the winner from — almost — every year since 1952.
Advertisem*nt
1952: Miss Finland, Armi Kuusela
The very first Miss Universe actually relinquished her title a bit early to marry Virgilio Hilario, a businessman she met while touring the Philippines, United Press reported at the time, according to the Boston Globe.
1953: Miss France, Christiane Martel
Martel went on to appear in a few films in the '50s and '60s.
Advertisem*nt
1954: Miss USA, Miriam Stevenson
According to reporting by the Associated Press at the time, not even Miss Universe was immune to an airline losing her luggage, which was missing for a week after she traveled from South Carolina to California for the competition.
1955: Miss Sweden, Hillevi Rombin
In 1996, Rombin became the first Miss Universe to die; she and her husband died in a plane crash, The New York Times reported.
Advertisem*nt
1956: Miss USA, Carol Morris
To date, Morris is the only Miss Iowa to win Miss USA — and the only former Miss Iowa to win Miss Universe.
Advertisem*nt
1957: Miss Peru, Gladys Zender
Zender's win came with controversy. After she was crowned, it was revealed that she was 17 years old, meaning she was too young to compete.
However, officials decided to let her keep the crown.
Advertisem*nt
1958: Miss Colombia, Luz Marina Zuluaga
Zuluaga, at the time of her win, had never been kissed, the Associated Press reported at the time.
1959: Miss Japan, Akiko Kojima
Kojima was the first Japanese woman, and the first Asian woman overall, to win Miss Universe.
Advertisem*nt
1960: Miss USA, Linda Bement
According to her obituary, Bement was a Utah native and an avid skier. She died in 2018.
1961: Miss Germany, Marlene Schmidt
Before winning Miss Universe, Schmidt was a research engineer at an electronics and radio firm, according to the Associated Press, as published by The Sumter Daily Item.
Advertisem*nt
1962: Miss Argentina, Norma Nolan
Nolan was the first Miss Argentina to win Miss Universe.
1963: Miss Brazil, Iêda Maria Vargas
This year, the winner of Miss Brazil was crowned with a headpiece named Iêda, named after Vargas, reported GZH.
Advertisem*nt
1964: Miss Greece, Corinna Tsopei
"Two years after I won Miss Universe, I was in Miami as a guest of the show. At the after-party, I sat with several people, including an older man. The man asked me to dance. He was the most wonderful dancer. He twirled me around the dance floor with ease," recalled Tsopei in a 2022 interview with Greek City Times.
"I was so impressed. I told him over and over how good he was. When I sat down, I said to my date, 'Wow, this old guy is a great dancer.' My date said, 'Are you kidding? That's Fred Astaire!'"
1965: Miss Thailand, Apasra Hongsakula
When Thailand was chosen to host Miss Universe in 2018, Hongsakula was on hand to celebrate, reported the National News Bureau of Thailand and the Vietnam News Agency.
Advertisem*nt
1967: Miss USA, Sylvia Hitchco*ck
Hitchco*ck grew up in Alabama on a chicken farm before her win.
1968: Miss Brazil, Martha Vasconcellos
She was the second Miss Brazil to win Miss Universe.
Advertisem*nt
1970: Miss Puerto Rico, Marisol Malaret
Malaret was welcomed home in Puerto Rico with a parade and a crowd of 50,000 people, according to The New York Times.
"She's our own Cinderella," said one fan at the time.
1971: Miss Lebanon, Georgina Rizk
"I believe I always make the right decisions for myself. I've always been free, and I am proud of where I am," said Rizk in a 2023 interview with Vogue Arabia.
Advertisem*nt
1972: Miss Australia, Kerry Anne Wells
"I am ecstatic to be Miss Universe," Wells told The Sydney Morning Herald at the time. "Right now I'm thinking very much of my mother and father. I am going to call them as soon as I get out of here."
She was the first Miss Australia to win Miss Universe.
1973: Miss Philippines, Margie Moran
Moran later hosted her own TV show in her home country called "Margie on Mindanao" for five years.
Advertisem*nt
1974: Miss Spain, Amparo Muñoz
Muñoz, who died in 2011, gave up her crown after just a few months to move back home to Spain, according to El Cierre.
1975: Miss Finland, Anne Marie Pohtamo
After 23 years, the Miss Universe crown returned to Finland with Pohtamo.
Advertisem*nt
1976: Miss Israel, Rina Messinger
Messinger was the first woman from Israel to win Miss Universe.
1977: Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Janelle Commissiong
Commissiong, the first Black Miss Universe, will be part of this year's selection committee.
Advertisem*nt
1978: Miss South Africa, Margaret Gardiner
Gardiner has been a journalist for decades, and is part of the Hollywood Foreign Press, the voting body of the Golden Globes.
1979: Miss Venezuela, Maritza Sayalero
So many photographers tried to get a photo of Sayalero after her win that the stage she was on collapsed, UPI reported, according to The New York Times.
Advertisem*nt
1980: Miss USA, Shawn Weatherly
Weatherly had a moderately successful career after winning Miss Universe, appearing on '80s TV shows such as "TJ Hooker," "Baywatch," "Happy Days," "JJ Starbuck," and "Matlock," along with films like "Police Academy 3: Back in Training" and "Thieves of Fortune."
1981: Miss Venezuela, Irene Sáez
After completing her tenure as Miss Universe, Sáez turned to a career in politics. In the '90s, she was elected the mayor of the Caracas municipality of Chacao.
Advertisem*nt
1982: Miss Canada, Karen Baldwin
According to her LinkedIn profile, Baldwin currently works as a land and estate agent at Sotheby's.
1983: Miss New Zealand, Lorraine Downes
In 2006, Downes was crowned the winner of New Zealand's version of "Dancing with the Stars."
Advertisem*nt
1984: Miss Sweden, Yvonne Ryding
Ryding was the third and, to date, most recent Miss Sweden to be crowned Miss Universe.
1985: Miss Puerto Rico, Deborah Carthy-Deu
2022's Puerto Rican entrant to Miss Universe wore a costume for the national costume contest that came with an LED screen which projected the faces of former Puerto Rican beauty queens, including Carthy-Deu.
Advertisem*nt
1986: Miss Venezuela, Bárbara Palacios
According to her website, Palacios has written multiple self-help books.
1987: Miss Chile, Cecilia Bolocco
Across three years, Bolocco appeared on seven episodes of "Yo soy Betty, la fea," the Colombian telenovela that was the inspiration for ABC's American remake, "Ugly Betty."
Advertisem*nt
1988: Miss Thailand, Bui Simon
According to her LinkedIn profile, Simon founded the Angel Wings Foundation, which "is dedicated to providing vital assistance to underserved Thai children and empowering them with the essential gift of education."
1989: Miss Netherlands, Angela Visser
Visser appeared on a season one episode of "Friends" as one of Chandler and Joey's neighbors.
Advertisem*nt
1990: Miss Norway, Mona Grudt
Like her predecessor, Grudt appeared on an episode of an iconic '90s show: "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
1991: Miss Mexico, Lupita Jones
According to Remezcla, Jones has been in charge of the Miss Mexico organization for 30 years.
Advertisem*nt
1993: Miss Puerto Rico, Dayanara Torres
Torres might be best known to Americans as Marc Anthony's ex-wife — the two got divorced shortly before Anthony began dating Jennifer Lopez.
She was crowned by Michelle McLean of Namibia, who won the Miss Universe title in 1992.
Advertisem*nt
1995: Miss USA, Chelsi Smith
Smith died in 2018, aged 45.
Advertisem*nt
1996: Miss Venezuela, Alicia Machado
Machado later accused then-pageant owner Donald Trump of making cruel comments about her weight, including calling her "Miss Piggy." She told The New York Times in 2016 that, after an incident where Trump brought press in to watch her exercise, she "was sick, anorexia and bulimia for five years," and has "gone to a lot of psychologists to combat this" over the last 20 years.
Trump hit back at her in response, saying he'd "saved her job" when others wanted to fire her.
Advertisem*nt
1997: Miss USA, Brook Lee
Lee was the first Native Hawaiian to win Miss Universe.
1998: Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Wendy Fitzwilliam
Fitzwilliam later became a lawyer after her Miss Universe win.
Advertisem*nt
1999: Miss Botswana, Mpule Kwelagobe
Upon winning, Kwelagobe became the fourth Black winner, the first Black African winner, and the first Miss Botswana winner.
2000: Miss India, Lara Dutta
The same year that Dutta won Miss Universe, Priyanka Chopra, India's representative at Miss World, won the biggest title of the night.
Advertisem*nt
2001: Miss Puerto Rico, Denise Quiñones
Quiñones was the 50th Miss Universe.
Advertisem*nt
2002: Miss Russia, Oxana Fedorova
Federova was dethroned after just four months amid rumors of "secret marriages and pregnancy," though the official reason given was for "failing in her duties," reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
Federova, for her part, said she wanted to concentrate on her studies, and she denied being married or pregnant.
Advertisem*nt
2002: Miss Panama, Justine Pasek
Federova was replaced by the first runner-up, Pasek, who was the first Panamanian Miss Universe.
2003: Miss Dominican Republic, Amelia Vega
According to her website, Vega has released multiple singles and an album since her time as Miss Universe.
Advertisem*nt
2004: Miss Australia, Jennifer Hawkins
Hawkins has had a successful modeling career and hosted Australian TV programs like "Australia's Next Top Model" and "Make Me a Supermodel."
2005: Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova
Glebova now offers pageant coaching, according to her website.
Advertisem*nt
2006: Miss Puerto Rico, Zuleyka Rivera
In 2017, Rivera appeared in the music video for "Despacito," which is the most-watched music video on YouTube, Billboard reported.
Advertisem*nt
2007: Miss Japan, Riyo Mori
Mori was inspired to enter Miss Japan by her grandmother, she told CNN.
"Japan, 50 or 60 years ago, was very conservative. Women had to stand behind men and never talk, never give an opinion — and my grandma was different," she said.
"She said, 'Riyo, you're young, you can dance, you can teach dancing, you love it, it's good — but maybe you should see a different world. Just go for it.'"
Advertisem*nt
2008: Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza
Mendoza appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2012, and she famously had some beef with comedian Lisa Lampanelli, who used a racial slur when speaking about Mendoza on a radio show, according to Entertainment Weekly.
2009: Miss Venezuela, Stefanía Fernández
When Mendoza crowned fellow Miss Venezuela Stefanía Fernández, it was the first time that a country had won Miss Universe back-to-back.
Advertisem*nt
2010: Miss Mexico, Ximena Navarrete
"I really was shocked. It's like a big feeling, you know? You're thinking about a thousand things at once, and I was very excited," Navarrete told PR.com after her win.
Advertisem*nt
2011: Miss Angola, Leila Lopes
Lopes was the first Miss Universe winner from Angola.
"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said in a press conference, E! News reported.
"I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."
Advertisem*nt
2012: Miss USA, Olivia Culpo
Culpo is now a reality TV star — she starred on her own show, "The Culpo Sisters," in 2022, and competed on "The Masked Singer" in 2023.
2013: Miss Venezuela, Gabriela Isler
During her reign, Isler told Glamour that her favorite book was "How to Know God" by Deepak Chopra.
Advertisem*nt
2014: Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega
"When we participate in a pageant we are examples to young and teenage girls," Vega told People at the time of her win. "It's very delicate."
2015: Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach
Wurtzbach wrote a novel about Miss Universe called "Queen of the Universe."
Advertisem*nt
2016: Miss France, Iris Mittenaere
Mittenaere has become a regular presence on French television, hosting the French version of "American Ninja Warrior," acting as a guest judge on "Drag Race France," and appearing on the French version of "Dancing with the Stars."
2017: Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
In 2020, Nel-Peters wed former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow in her home country of South Africa.
Advertisem*nt
2018: Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray
Gray will be acting as a backstage correspondent at this year's Miss Universe in El Salvador.
2019: Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi
Tunzi wasn't the first South African woman to be named Miss Universe, but she was the first Black South African woman to take home the crown.
Advertisem*nt
2020: Miss Mexico, Andrea Meza
Meza has since become a host for Telemundo.
2021: Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu
For her final walk as Miss Universe, Sandhu honored the two prior Indian Miss Universes, Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, by wearing a gown with their faces on it.
Advertisem*nt
2022: Miss USA, R'Bonney Gabriel
Gabriel was 28 years old when she was crowned, making her the oldest Miss Universe to date.
And now, fittingly, the reigning Miss Universe was on hand to announce the end of upper age limits in the competition, WWD reported in September 2023.
"What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they've designed for us," she said.
Read next
Advertisem*nt
