The morning after she was selected, Yolande Betbeze, Miss America 1951, announced that she would not pose for photographs in a swimsuit. A few months later, Yolande's predecessor, Jacque Mercer, was making an appearance for Catalina, the Miss America swimsuit sponsor, and EB Stewart, the president of Catalina, was complaining about Yolande's refusal to pose. Jacque said to Mr. Stewart "Why don't you start your own pageant?" She suggested the title Miss United Nations which remained the working title until Universal Pictures (the film company) got involved and the name was changed. Rosemary LaPlanche, Miss America 1941 (from California), crowned the first winner in Long Beach in 1952.
The pageant was held in Long Beach, California from 1952 to 1959 and the Miss USA Pageant was held at the beginning of the week. Miss USA was crowned midweek and started competing in Miss Universe the very next day. Miss Universe was crowned on Saturday night.
The pageant moved to Miami Beach, Florida in 1960 where it remained until 1971. This was also when Miss USA started being held approximately six weeks prior to Miss Universe.
Advances in satellite television capabilities allowed the pageant to start traveling around the world in 1972 when the pageant was held in Puerto Rico. Subsequent host cities through 1980 were Athens, Manila, San Salvador, Hong Kong, the Dominican Republic, Acapulco, Perth, and Seoul.
Depending on how you count various titles, between 160-165 different countries have competed at Miss Universe over the last 64 years. For example, Ceylon becoming Sri Lanka in 1972 is pretty straight forward, but England competed along with Scotland and Wales until 1990 when they were combined into the title of United Kingdom and later Great Britain.
The total number of contestants hovered in the low 30's in the 1950s, rose from the 40s into the low 60's by the end of the 1960's, finally reached the mid-70s by the end of the 1970s, fluctuated between the mid-60s and the low 80's during the 1980s, ranged from the low 70s to the low 80s throughout the 1990s & 2000s, and has been solidly in the upper 80s for the last four years.
 |
| Notice Miss India, third photo down in the left column. That's Persis Khambatta who went on to star in the first Star Trek movie in 1979 with the shaved head. |
I'll admit it, I learned much of my world geography from watching Miss Universe, and I still miss the team of Bob Barker and Helen O'Connell as hosts.
This blog has three lists for your enjoyment:
Best Records: which countries have the best records of making the semi-finals or better
Highest Participation: which countries have sent representatives to Miss Universe most often
Predicting this year's semi-finalists: which countries have been doing well recently
Best Records
Key - 20(5)-W,1,2,3,4 means that the country has made the semi-finals at Miss Universe 20 times with five of those women placing. In this situation, the country can boast a Miss Universe Winner, a 1st Runner-up, a 2nd Runner-up, a 3rd Runner-up, and a 4th Runner-up.
Note - there have been several years where a Top 6 or a Top 5 were called as Finalists but not everyone was named as a Runner-up. These will be indicated with a "5" or a "6."
Ties are broken first by the number of finalists and then by the actual placement of those finalists.
1. USA - 59(35)-W,W,W,W,W,W,W,W,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,2,3,4,4,4,4,4,5,5,6,6,6,6
2. Venezuela - 40(29)-W,W,W,W,W,W,W,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3,4,4,5,6,6,6
3. Brazil - 33(15)-W,W,1,1,1,1,1,2,3,3,4,4,4,4,4
4. Colombia - 31(13)-W,W,1,1,1,1,2,2,3,3,3,4,5
5. Sweden -29(13)-W,W,W,1,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,4,4
6. Germany - 21(7)-W,1,3,3,4,4,4
7. India - 22(7)-W,W,1,2,3,4,6
8. Puerto Rico - 20(12)-W,W,W,W,W,1,2,2,3,4,5,6
9*. England/Great Britain/UK - 20(9)-1,2,2,2,3,3,3,4,4
I counted Great Britain's Top 10 placement in 2013 since she was born in London. Scotland and Wales have an additional five semi-finalist placements EACH, and three runners-up EACH as well. In fact, all three countries made the semi-finals together or in 1961, 1976, and 1979. No contestant from the British isles has ever won Miss Universe, however, Miss United Kingdom has won Miss World five times (Miss World is based in London and was founded in 1951, one year prior to Miss Universe's founding).
10. Israel - 20(7)-W,2,3,3,4,4,4
11. South Africa - 20(6)-W,1,2,3,3,5
12. Philippines - 19(12)-W,W,1,1,1,3,3,3,3,4,5,6
13. Finland - 18(12)-W,W,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,3,4
14. Japan - 18(9)-W,W,1,2,3,3,4,4,4
15. Greece - 18(4)-W,1,2,3
16. Australia - 17(11)-W,W,1,2,2,2,3,3,4,4,6
17. Mexico - 17(9)-W,W,2,3,3,4,5,6,6
18. Spain - 17(8)-W,1,1,2,2,2,3,4
19. Norway - 17(3)-W,1,2
20*. France - 17(1)-W
20*. Peru - 17(1)-W
France and Peru have the best records of making the semi-finals but with only a single Top 5 Finalist so far, and that Finalist became Miss Universe: Christiane Martel, 1953 (France) and Gladys Zender; 1957 (Peru); Other nations with only a single Top 5 Semi-Finalist, who happened to be names Miss Universe include: Lebanon-Georgina Rizk, 1971; Namibia-Mchelle McLean-1992; Botswana-Mpule Kwelagobe-1999; and Angola-Leila Lopes, 2011.
22. Canada - 16(5)-W,W,1,2,5
23. Italy - 15(5)-1,1,2,4,6
24. Argentina - 15(3)-W,2,4
25. Netherlands/Holland - 13(5)-W,1,3,4,6
26. Chile - 13(2)-W,6
Highest participation
Only four (4) countries have sent a representative to EVERY Miss Universe Pageant in the last 64 years (including this year). Here's the list of the 25 countries that have sent reps most often:
USA - 64 years
Canada - 64
France - 64
Germany - 64
Greece - 63 (no rep in 1988)
Israel - 63 (no rep in 1953)
Japan - 62 (no rep in 1996 or 1997)
Venezuela - 62 (no reps in 1954 or 1959)
Brazil - 61 (no reps in 1952, 1953, or 1990)
Italy - 61 (no reps in 1969, 1992, or 2006)
Peru - 61 (no reps in 1955, 1973, or 1974)
Sweden - 61 (no reps in 2005, 2007, or 2008)
Costa Rica - 60 (no reps in 1952, 1953, 1961, or 1969)
Finland - 60 (no reps from 1956-1959)
Korea - 60 (no reps in 1952, 1953, 1956, or 1969)
Philippines - 60 (no reps from 1958-1961)
Puerto Rico - 60 (no reps from 1958-1960 or in 1969)
Belgium - 59 (no reps in 1966, 1969, 1987, 1990, or 1995)
Uruguay - 59 (no reps in 1966, 1969, 1995, 2003, or 2013)
Ecuador - 58 (no reps in 1952-1954, 1967, 1969, or 1974)
Argentina - 57 (no reps in 1952, 1953, 1965, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2005)
Colombia - 57 (no reps in 1952-1957, 1971)
Mexico - 57 (no reps in 1960-1964, 1966, 1969)
Norway - 57 (no reps in 1956, 1957, 1974, 1975, 1997, 1999, 2011)
Bolivia - 56 (no reps in 1952-1958, or 1969)
Predicting the Semi-Finalists (What countries are "On-A-Roll?")
We all know that you should automatically put the USA and Venezuela in your Top 15 but who else should we really watch during the Parade of Nations? Here are countries that have done well in recent years
Australia-Australia has made the semi-finals in six of the last seven years, including five years straight from 08-12 with three Top 10s and three RUs plus Jennifer Hawkins' win in 04 before this streak started.
Brazil-Brazil has made the semi-finals the last four consecutive years with three consecutive RUs in 2011, 2012, & 2013, plus Brazil is 3rd overall historically.
Colombia-Paulina Vega became Colombia's second Miss Universe last year, and lost its first Miss Universe, Luz Marina Zuluaga (1957) on December 2nd. Colombia had five semi-finalists in 8 years (between 2004-2011, including 1st RU in 2008), and the country is 4th overall historically.
Dominican Republic-Amelia Vega's win in 03 and then three RUs and a Top 10 in the last ten years.
France-Four consecutive Semi-Finalists from 2009-2012.
India-India has made the semi-finals the last three consecutive years. India had eleven (!) consecutive semi-finalists between 92-02 including two wins (Sushmita Sen in 94 and Lara Dutta in 2000), four finalists, and five semi-finalists.
Kosovo-Competing only seven of the last eight years, Kosovo has had four semi-finalists, including a runner-up.
Mexico-Seven semi-finalists between 2004-2012 including Ximena Navarrete's win in 2010 and two RUs.
Philippines-Philippines has made the Semi-Finals the last five consecutive years, including four Top 5 Finalists between 2010-2013.
Puerto Rico-Thirteen (13) semi-finalists in the last 22 years, including Dayanara Torres' and Zuleyka Rivera's wins in 93 and 06 respectively, along with five more runners-up/finals placements.
Russia-Four semi-finalists between 2006-2012 including one runner-up.
Ukraine-Six semi-finalists (and three runners-up/Top 5 finalists) in the last nine years.
USA-The USA has only NOT made the semi-finals four (4) times EVER (76, 99, 02, and 10).
Venezuela-Venezuela started doing well in 1967 with its first Top 5 placement (1st RU). Over 11 years (67-77), they produced six semi-finalists, including three RUs. Then Maritza Sayalero (one of my all-time favorites) kicked Venezuela into its highest gear by winning in 79. Irene Saez' win followed just two years later in 81. Then, starting in 83, Venezuela made the semi-finals 21 years straight (83-03) with 16 runners-up and two more wins (Barbara Palacios Teyde in 86 and Alicia Machado in 96). In fact, within that time period, Venezuela made the Finals/Tops 5 an incredible 13 years straight (91-03). Most recently, the country can boast seven semi-finalists in the last nine years, including three runners-up and three more winners (Dayana Mendoza in 08, Stefania Fernandez in 09, and Gabriela Isler in 2013).
 |
| Maritza Sayalero Miss Venezuela 1979 Miss Universe 1979 |
No comments:
Post a Comment