Miss Universe - celebrating beautiful women since 1952

The very first Miss Universe pageant was held in Long Beach, California, USA in 1952. The winner was 18-year-old Armi Kuusela of Finland

In 1953 the winner was 18-year-old Miss France Christiane Martel

In 1954 Miss USA Miriam Stevenson became the first American to win the title

 In 1955 Miss Sweden Hillevi Rombin became the fourth winner of Miss Universe

 In 1956 Carol Morris was the second Miss USA to win the Miss Universe title

In 1957 Miss Peru Gladys Zender was crowned Miss Universe


 In 1959 Miss Japan Akiko Kojima became the first Asian to win the Miss Universe title

 In 1960 Miss USA Linda Bement won the Miss Universe

 In 1961 Marlene Schmidt of Germany won the title

 In 1962 Norma Nolan  from Argentina won the Miss Universe title

In 1963 Miss Brazil Ieda Maria Vargas won the title

In 1964 Miss Greece Corinna Tsopei won the title

In 1965 18-year-old Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand had won the the 14th Miss Universe Title

In 1966 Margareta Arvidsson of Sweden was crowned Miss Universe and also won the Miss Photogenic round

In 1967 Sylvia Louise Hitchcock-Carson of USA was the winner of the Miss Universe in 1967. She was also declared the winner of the swimwear round

In 1968 Miss Brazil Martha Vasconcellos was the fifth Latin American to win the title

In 1969 Miss Philippines Gloria Diaz won the title

In 1970 Marisol Malaret Contreras was the first Puerto Rican woman to be crowned Miss Universe

       

In 1971 Miss Lebanon Georgina Rizk was the first woman from the Middle East and the fourth woman from Asia to win the title                                                                                         

In 1972 Miss Australia Kerry Anne Wells  won the title

In 1973 Miss Philippines Margarita Moran, granddaughter of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas, won the title

In 1974 Amparo Muñoz Quesada from Spain was an actress who became the first and so far the only Spanish woman to win thetitle

 In 1975 Anne Marie Pohtamo of Finland. was the second woman from her country to win the crown

 In 1976 Rina Mor from Israel won the title

 In 1977 Janelle Commissioning from Trinidad and Tobago became the first black woman to win the title

 In 1978 Margaret Gardiner of South Africa won the title

In 1979 Maritza Sayalero from Venezuela won the title

In 1980 Shawn Weatherly of USA won the title

In 1981 Miss Venezuela Irene Lailin Sáez Conde was a politician and a former presidential candidate before she won the Miss Universe crown.

In 1982 Karen Dianne Baldwin, was the first Canadian winner of Miss Universe

In 1983 Miss New Zealand Lorraine Elizabeth Downes won the title

In 1984 Miss Sweden Yvonne Ryding was a midfield soccer player and a nurse before she was crowned Miss Universe

 In 1985 Deborah Carthy-Deu from Puerto Rico won the title

In 1986 Bárbara Palacios Teyde of Venezuela was crowned as Miss Universe

In 1987 Miss Chile Cecilia Bolocco won the title

In 1988 Miss Thailand Porntip Nakhirunkanok was crowned Miss Universe

In 1989 Angela Visser from Netherlands was the first woman from her country to win the Miss Universe

 In 1990 Mona Grudt became the first Norwegian to win the Miss Universe title

In 1991 Miss Mexico Lupita Jones won the title

In 1992 Michelle McLean from Namibia was the first and only woman from Namibia to win the crown

In 1993 Miss Puerto Rico Dayanara Torres won the title

In 1994 Miss India Sushmita Sen created history when she won the Miss Universe crown and became the first Indian to do so.

In 1995 Chelsi Smith from USA was crowned Miss Universe

 In 1996 Alicia Machado from Venezuala won the title

In 1997 Brook Lee was an American beauty queen from Pearl City who won the Miss Universe titlle

In 1998 Miss Trinidad and Tobago Wendy Fitzwilliam was the third African woman to win Miss Universe

 In 1999 Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe of Botswana was crowned Miss Universe

 In 2000 Lara Dutta from India won the Miss Universe title

 In 2001 On the 50th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, Miss Puerto Rico Denise Quiñones won the title

In 2002 Ex police office Oxana Fedorova of Russia won the title in 2002 but was dethroned amid rumours of pregnancy. She is not officially listed among Miss Universe winners

 In 2003 Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic became the first and only Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe

 In 2004 Jennifer Hawkins of Australia won the title

 In 2005 Natalie Glebova of Russia won the title

In 2006 Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera was crowned Miss Universe

In 2007 Riyo Mori became the second Japanese woman to win Miss Universe

In 2008 Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza won the title

 In 2009 Stefanía Fernández Krupij, also from Venezuela, uniquely became the first Miss Universe to be crowned by a compatriot and holds a Guinness record for doing so.

In 2010 Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete won the title

In  2011 Miss Angola Leila Lopes was crowned the title