Super lists down what it takes to be a hard-core fan of the world’s most popular and favorite pageant of all time.
You are a true Miss Universe fan when you know that…
The pageant was acquired by Donald Trump & Co. in 1996.
Paula M. Shugart is the pageant’s president. She has held the position since 2001.
It had been accepting married contestants until 1956.
Among the titleholders, Porntip Nakhirunkanok of Thailand has the longest surname.
Brooke Lee of the United States is the oldest winner. She was 26 when she won in 1997.
Armi Kusela of Finland is the youngest winner. She was 17 when she won in 1952. (She married a Filipino businessman.)
Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic is the tallest winner at 6’1”.
Luz Zuluaga of Colombia and Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand are the shortest winners, both standing at 5’4”.
The years the pageant had the most number of contestants were in 2011 and 2012. There were 89 contestants in both years.
Guam has the biggest number of Miss Congeniality winners—four: 1970, 1985, 1986, 1988.
The Philippines has the biggest number of Miss Photogenic winners—seven: 1971, 1973, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007.
Colombia has the biggest number of Best National Costume winners—six: 1968, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2002.
“Margaret” is the most common name of pageant winners: Margaret Arvidsson of Sweden (1966) and Margaret Gardiner of South Africa (1978), plus a variation—Margarita—in 1973, our very own Margie Moran.
Moscow, Russia, is the northernmost, and Perth, Australia, the southernmost city to ever host the pageant.
The United States has the most number of winners— seven: Miriam Stevenson (1954), Carol Morris (1956), Linda Bement (1960), Sylvia Hitchcock (1967), Chelsi Smith (1995), Brooke Lee (1997) and Olivia Culpo (2012).
Four Filipinos have sat as judges in the pageant: Carlos P. Romulo (1974), Kuh Ledesma (1991), Emilio Yap (1994) and Lea Salonga (2011).
Eileen Ford and Richard Johnson are the only two persons who have judged in the pageant more than once—they both judged thrice.
Mexico is the pageant’s most favorite venue. It has hosted four times: Acapulco in 1978; Cancun, 1989; and Mexico City, 1993 and 2007.
Among US cities, Las Vegas is the pageant’s most favorite venue. It has hosted four times: 1991, 1996, 2010 and 2012.
Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos called in the military to seed monsoon clouds in an effort to diffuse a storm that threatened to cancel the Manila-hosted pageant in 1974.
Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad and Tobago was the first black woman to win the crown (1977).
Laura Martinez Herring is the first Hispanic woman to represent the United States in the pageant (1985).
There had been one dethroned queen in the pageant’s history: Oxana Fedorova of Russia was replaced by first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama in 2002.
The pageant organization published its first book, “Universal Beauty: The Miss Universe Guide to Beauty,” in 2006.
Only one country has won the crown twice in a row: Venezuela’s Stefania Fernandez succeeded fellow Venezuelan Dayana Mendoza in 2009.
