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HISTORY The winner of 1950's " Miss America 1951" pageant, Yolande Betbeze , refused to pose in a swimsuit from major sponsor Catalina Swimwear . As a result, the brand's manufacturer Pacific Mills withdrew from Miss America and set up the Miss USA and Miss Universe contests. The first Miss Universe Pageant was first held in Long Beach, California in 1952. It was won by Armi Kuusela from Finland , who gave up her title to get married to a Filipino tycoon shortly before her year was complete. Until 1958 the Miss Universe title (like Miss America) was post-dated, so at the time Ms. Kuusela's title was Miss Universe 1953. The pageant was first televised in 1955. CBS began broadcasting the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants combined from 1960, and separately from 1965. In 2003, NBC took over the television rights. The main pageant was held in the United States until 1972, when it was hosted by Dorado , Puerto Rico . Since then it has usually been held in a different city each year, though Manila , Miami , Las Vegas , Bangkok and Panama City have each hosted it twice. The 2005 Miss Universe Pageant was held in Bangkok , Thailand on May 31 2005 , to help the tsunami-struck nation win tourists back to the area. China and Chile also bid, but failed, to host the contest. Miss Universe Canada , Natalie Glebova was crowned Miss Universe 2005 by Miss Universe 2004, Jennifer Hawkins of Australia . Miss Puerto Rico was first runner up while Miss Dominican Republic was the second runner up. The Miss Universe 2006 pageant will take place in Los Angeles , California on Sunday, July 23rd in the Shrine Auditorium . THE CONTEST TODAY The Miss Universe Organization , a New-York -based partnership between NBC and Donald Trump , has run the contest since June 20 , 2002 . The current president is Paula Shugart . The Organization sells television rights to the pageant in other countries, and also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contests. The winner of Miss USA represents the USA in Miss Universe. Candidate selection Each year, bids are received by the Miss Universe organizers from organizations who wish to select the Miss Universe contestant for a country. This allows competition between different pageants to hold a country's license, as happened for Miss Italy and Miss France for example when the licenses for their respective traditional organizations were revoked (the usual Miss France competition returned in 2004). Usually a country's candidate selection involves pageants in major cities, with the winners competing in a national pageant, but this does not always occur. For example, in 2000 Australia 's competition was abolished as a relic of a bygone era, with Australian delegates instead chosen by a Modelling Agency . Such "castings" are generally discouraged by the Miss Universe Organization, which prefers national pageants that preserve an aura of respectability and competition. Despite the "casted" Australian delegate, Jennifer Hawkins , being chosen as Miss Universe in 2004, Australia resumed its national pageant to choose Michelle Guy as Miss Universe Australia 2005. Among the most important national pageants in the world are , France , Germany , and the USA . Many European countries allow 17-year-old contestants, while Miss Universe's minimum age is 18, so national titleholders often have to be replaced by their runners-up. Miss Universe also prohibits Transsexual applicants and Age Fabrication . The main pageant The main Miss Universe Pageant is held in May or June each year, with the winner being crowned by the previous year's titleholder. According to the organisers, the Miss Universe contest isn't won just on looks. Women who aspire to become ''Miss Universe'' must be intelligent, well-mannered and cultured. Often a candidate has lost because she did not have a good answer during the question-and-answer round. Currently, the final placement of the finalists is determined by a ranked vote, where each judge ranks each of the final three/five candidates, with the contestant posting the lowest cumulative score becoming the winner. If there is a tie, which often happens when there are even members of the jury, the higher semifinal scores become decisive. The winner is assigned a one-year contract with the Miss Universe Organization, travelling to several countries to spread messages about the control of diseases, peace, and public awareness of AIDS. Aside from the main winner and her runners-up, special awards are also given to the winners of the best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality is chosen by the delegates themselves, while Miss Photogenic is chosen by popular Internet vote. TITLEHOLDERS STATISTICS As of the 2005 contest, there have been seven American , four Puerto Rican , four Venezuelan , and three Swedish Misses Universe. Many other countries have won the contest once or twice. Venezuela has enjoyed the most successful overall performance of the last decade at Miss Universe (and in the world pageant circuit): from 1983 to 2003 its representatives placed in the semifinals without interruption, and for the last decade every Miss Venezuela reached the finalist (top five/top six) position. In 2004, this pattern was broken by Ana Karina Anez's failure to place in the top 15 in Ecuador. Although Venezuela is tied for second with Puerto Rico for the most crowns won, it has had a far superior record in terms of overall placement. While Alicia Machado has been the only Venezuelan Miss Universe in the last decade, of the nine pageants that have followed her victory, four have seen Venezuela's representative come in second. The countries that made the semi-finals most often is the USA, who only missed the cut three times with one disqualification in 1957, then Venezuela (33), Sweden and Brazil (both 27), Colombia (26), Germany (21), England and Israel (both 19), Finland and Greece (both 18), Norway and India (both 17), Peru and South Africa (16 each), and Canada, Japan, and Puerto Rico (15 each). England, the Philippines and Puerto Rico all have won the Miss Photogenic award 5 times. Four in 1977, Chelsi Smith from the USA in 1995, Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago in 1998, and Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana in 1999. A new trend of delegates representing countries they were not born in has developed. Miss Universe 2002 Justine Pasek was born in Kharkiv Ukraine . Miss Israel 2005, Elena Ralph was also born in Ukraine and moved to Israel when she was 8 years old. The most famous country-swapper was probably Natascha Borger . After placing 12th in the 2000 Miss Venezuela pageant she moved to Germany where she easily won the crown of Miss Germany Universe . Other notable contestants who represent countries other than their birth place include the Canadian Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova who is Russian by birth. INVITED ARTISTS
TRIVIA Locations
Competing states
Delegates
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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