Miss Universe
The Miss Universe pageant began in Long Beach, California in 1952. The pageant is held over a two week period and, according to the organizers, is more than a beauty pageant. Contestants must be intelligent, well-mannered and cultured. It's "rival" pageant is the Miss World pageant. The United States has had the most Miss Universe title holders with seven.
The current Miss Universe, crowned in 2011, is Leila Lopes of Angola.
Miss Universe Pageant Winners
| Year | Miss Universe | Country | 1st Runner Up |
| 2011 | Leila Lopes | Angola | Olesya Stefanko (Ukraine) |
| 2010 | Ximena Navarrete | Mexico | Yendi Phillipps (Jamaica) |
| 2009 | Stefania Fernandez | Venezuela | Ada Aimee de la Cruz (Dominican Republic) |
| 2008 | Dayana Mendoza | Venezuela | Taliana Vargas (Colombia) |
| 2007 | Riyo Mori | Japan | Natalia Guimaraes (Brazil) |
| 2006 | Zuleyka Rivera | Puerto Rico | Kurara Chibana (Japan) |
| 2005 | Natalie Glebova | Canada | Cynthia Olavarria (Puerto Rico) |
| 2004 | Jennifer Hawkins | Australia | Shandi Finnessy (United States) |
| 2003 | Amelia Vega | Dominican Republic | Mariangel Ruiz (Venezuela) |
| 2002 | Justine Pasek | Panama | |
| Oxana Fedorova of Russia dethroned | |||
| 2001 | Denise M Quinones | Puerto Rico | |
| 2000 | Lara Dutta | India | |
| 1999 | Mpule Kwelagobe | Botswana | |
| 1998 | Wendy Fitzwilliam | Trinidad & Tobago | |
| 1997 | Brook Lee | United States | |
| 1996 | Alicia Machada Fajardo | Venezuela | |
| 1995 | Chelsi Smith | United States | |
| 1994 | Sushmita Sen | India | |
| 1993 | Dayanara Torres | Puerto Rico | |
| 1992 | Michelle McLean | Namibia | |
| 1991 | Lupita Jones | Mexico | |
| 1990 | Mona Grudt | Norway | |
| 1989 | Angela Visser | Holland | |
| 1988 | Porntip Nakhirunkanok | Thailand | |
| 1987 | Cecilia Bolocco Fonck | Chile | |
| 1986 | Barbara Palacios Teyde | Venezuela | |
| 1985 | Deborah Carthy-Deu | Puerto Rico | |
| 1984 | Yvonne Ryding | Sweden | |
| 1983 | Lorraine Downes | New Zealand | |
| 1982 | Karen Diane Baldwin | Canada | |
| 1981 | Mona Irene Lailan Saez Conde | Venezuela | |
| 1980 | Shawn Weatherly | United States | |
| 1979 | Maritza Sayalero | Venezuela | |
| 1978 | Margaret Gardiner | South Africa | |
| 1977 | Janelle Commissiong | Trinidad & Tobago | |
| 1976 | Rina Messinger | Israel | |
| 1975 | Anne Marie Pohtamo | Finland | |
| 1974 | Amparo Munoz | Spain | |
| 1973 | Maria Margarita Moran | Philippines | |
| 1972 | Kerry Anne Wells | Australia | |
| 1971 | Georgina Rizk | Lebanon | |
| 1970 | Marisol Malaret | Puerto Rico | |
| 1969 | Gloria Diaz | Phillippines | |
| 1968 | Martha Vasconcellos | Brazil | |
| 1967 | Sylvia Hitchcock | United States | |
| 1966 | Margareta Arvidsson | Sweden | |
| 1965 | Apasra Hongsakula | Thailand | |
| 1964 | Kiriaki Corinna Tsopei | Greece | |
| 1963 | Ieda Maria Vargas | Brazil | |
| 1962 | Norma Nolan | Argentina | |
| 1961 | Marlene Schmidt | Germany | |
| 1960 | Linda Bement | United States | |
| 1959 | Akiko Kojima | Japan | |
| 1958 | Luz Marina Zuluaga | Colombia | |
| 1957 | Gladys Zender | Peru | |
| 1956 | Carol Morris | United States | |
| 1955 | Hillevi Rombin | Sweden | |
| 1954 | Miriam Stevenson | United States | |
| 1953 | Christiane Martel | France | |
| 1952 | Armi Kuusela | Finland | |
Every attempt is made to insure the accuracy of the above information, however accuracy is not guaranteed.
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