Miss Universe 1952

Miss Universe 1952
Armi Kuusela
Date	28 June 1952 (1952-06-28)
Presenters	Bob Russell
Venue	Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States
Entrants	30 [1]
Placements	10
Debuts	Alaska Australia Belgium Canada Chile Cuba Denmark Finland France Great Britain Greece Hawaii Hong Kong India Israel Italy Japan Mexico Norway Panama Peru Philippines Puerto Rico South Africa Sweden Turkey Uruguay United States West Germany Venezuela
Winner	Armi Kuusela Finland
Congeniality	Myriam Lynn (Belgium) Valerie Johnson (Montana)
1953  →

Miss Universe 1952 was the first Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 28 June 1952. ^{[2] [3]}

At the end of the event, actress Piper Laurie crowned Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952. ^{[2] [4]} It was the first victory of Finland in the history of the pageant.

Contestants from 30 countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Russell. The competition featured the Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown, which was previously owned by a Russian czar. The crown was said to have 1,535 diamonds, 300 carats, and was valued at $500,000. ^[5]

Background

Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue of Miss Universe 1952

Location and date

After Miss America 1951 Yolande Betbeze refused to pose for a publicity picture wearing a swimsuit from Catalina Swimwear, ^{[6] [7]} then-Miss Universe executive producer Oliver Reinhardt negotiated in with the officials of Pan American World Airways and Catalina Swimwear to sponsor the Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in Long Beach, California. ^[8] The city of Long Beach provided $30,000 USD for the competition to be held from June 23 to June 30, 1952. ^{[9] [10]}

Selection of participants

Contestants from thirty countries and territories have been selected to compete in the competition for the first time. The age requirement in this edition is from eighteen to twenty-eight, where women who are married and have children can also participate. ^[8] This policy was changed in 1957 where the participation of women who are married or already have children was prohibited. ^[11] This policy was then reinstated in 2023. ^{[12] [13]} One contestant was selected to replace the original dethroned winner.

Replacements

Gladys Rubio Fajardo was appointed to represent Uruguay after Miss Uruguay 1952 Rosa Adela "Nenela" Prunell withdrew from the competition due to undisclosed reasons. ^[14]

Results

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss Universe 1952	Finland – Armi Kuusela [15]
1st runner-up	Hawaii – Elza Kananionapua Edsman [15]
2nd runner-up	Greece – Ntaizy Mavraki [15]
3rd runner-up	Hong Kong – Judy Dan [15]
4th runner-up	West Germany – Renate Hoy [15]
Top 10	Mexico – Olga Llorens Pérez [15]   South Africa – Catherine Higgins [15]   Sweden – Anne Marie Thistler [15]   United States – Jackie Loughery [15]   Uruguay – Gladys Rubio Fajardo [15]

Special awards

Award	Contestant
Miss Amity	Belgium – Myriam Lynn [15]
Miss Friendship	Montana – Valerie Johnson [15]
Most Popular Girl in Parade	Chile – Esther Saavedra [15]
Miss Welcome to Long Beach	Jeri Miller

Contestants

Miss Universe 1952 participating countries and territories

Thirty contestants competed for the title. ^[16]

Country/Territory	Contestant	Age [lower-alpha 1]	Hometown
Alaska	Shirley Burnett [17]	19	Fairbanks
Australia	Leah MacCartney [18]	19	Melbourne
Belgium	Myriam Lynn [19]	25	Brussels
Canada	Ruth Carrier [1]	21	Ontario
Chile	Esther Saavedra [16]	23	Santiago
Cuba	Gladys López [16]	20	Havana
Denmark	Hanne Sørensen [20]	20	Copenhagen
Finland	Armi Kuusela [21]	17	Muhos
France	Claude Goddart [22]	22	Paris
West Germany	Renate Hoy	21	Ludwigshafen
Great Britain	Aileen P. Chase	21	London
Greece	Ntaizy Mavraki [23]	18	Athens
Hawaii	Elza Kananionapua Edsman [24]	20	Honolulu
Hong Kong	Judy Dan [25]	21	Hong Kong
India	Indrani Rahman [26]	21	Chennai
Israel	Ora Vered [27]	18	Tel Aviv
Italy	Giovanna Mazzotti	19	Lombardy
Japan	Himeko Kojima	20	Osaka
Mexico	Olga Llorens Pérez [28]	21	Ciudad Juárez
Norway	Eva Røine	24	Oslo
Panama	Elzibir Gisela Malek [29]	18	Coclé
Peru	Ada Gabriela Bueno [30]	18	Apurímac
Philippines	Teresita Sanchez [31]	19	Malolos
Puerto Rico	Marilia Levy Bernal [32]	20	Lares
South Africa	Catherine Higgins [33]	19	Transvaal
Sweden	Anne Marie Thistler	19	Stockholm
Turkey	Gelengül Tayfuroğlu [34]	18	Ankara
United States	Jacqueline Loughery [35]	21	Brooklyn
Uruguay	Gladys Rubio Fajardo	21	Montevideo
Venezuela	Sofía Silva [36]	23	Tumeremo

Notes

1. Ages at the time of the pageant

References

1. "Blonde from Finland named Miss Universe". Ottawa Citizen . June 30, 1952. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
2. Coetzee, Nikita (16 October 2019). "PICS: This is what the very first Miss Universe pageant looked like 67 years ago!". News24. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
3. Becker, Bill (22 June 1952). "Miss Universe to be chosen at Long Beach". Asheville Citizen-Times . p. 7. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. Bell, Diane (September 5, 2014). "La Jollan was 1st 'Miss Universe'". San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved May 14, 2022.
5. Tayag, Voltaire (16 May 2021). "Miss Universe crowns: Sentimental favorites, all-time greats". Rappler . Retrieved 18 February 2023.
6. "Miss America who wouldn't appear in swimsuit is finally in from the cold". Toledo Blade . 14 September 1995. p. 6. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
7. Roberts, Sam (26 February 2016). "Yolande Betbeze Fox, Miss America Who Defied Convention, Dies at 87". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
8. Williams, Vera (23 March 1952). "Pageant of Pulchritude". Long Beach Press-Telegram . p. 50. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. Epley, Malcolm (18 October 1951). "Beach combing". Long Beach Press-Telegram . p. 33. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Pageant plan chiefs to meet". Long Beach Press-Telegram . 28 October 1951. p. 13. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Miss USA turns out to be a Mrs". Park City Daily News. 19 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 19 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
12. Bracamonte, Earl D. C. (12 August 2022). "Miss Universe allows moms, wives to join starting 2023". Philippine Star . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
13. Hirwani, Peony (12 August 2022). "Miss Universe announces inclusive change to pageant after more than 70 years". The Independent . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
14. "14 nations bid for Miss Universe". The Sun. 3 April 1952. p. 9. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Trove.
15. Lo, Ricky (September 30, 2016). "The first (1952) Miss U pageant". Philippine Star . Retrieved May 14, 2022.
16. "The 'UN of Beauty'". Long Beach Independent . 22 June 1952. p. 76. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
17. "Seeks 'Miss Universe' title". Oxnard Press-Courier . 21 June 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
18. "These Pacific beauties seek "Miss Universe" title". Honolulu Star-Bulletin . 21 June 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2023– via Newspapers.com.
19. "Jewels lost, says beauty". Singapore Free Press . 7 July 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 7 July 2023– via National Library Board.
20. "Danish beauty". Gettysburg Times . 21 June 1952. p. 5. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
21. "College Girl from Finland Crowned Miss Universe". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, FL. June 20, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved August 26, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
22. "She's Miss France". The News. 31 May 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Trove.
23. "Greece's pageant entry". The Indianapolis Star. 26 June 1952. p. 44. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
24. "Elsa Edsman chosen as "Miss Hawaiian Islands"". The Honolulu Advertiser . Honolulu, Hawaii. 18 June 1952. p. 13. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
25. "Hollywood film shop". Shamokin News-Dispatch . Shamokin, Pennsylvania. 20 July 1956. p. 9. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
26. "Miss India finds it cool here as she heads for beauty title". Evening Star. Washington, District of Columbia. 17 June 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
27. "Israel's choice for Miss Universe". The Sentinel⁩. 3 July 1952. p. 15. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via National Library of Israel.
28. "Silvia Derbez y el día que representó a San Luis Potosí en Miss México" [Silvia Derbez and the day she represented San Luis Potosí in Miss Mexico]. El Universal San Luis Potosí (in Spanish). 18 May 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
29. "Panama's prettiest". The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio. 21 June 1952. p. 2. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
30. "Peru's entry". The Call-Leader. Elwood, Indiana. 18 June 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
31. Lo, Ricky (12 February 2010). "Misses RP for Miss U pageant, 1952-'63". Philippine Star . Retrieved 6 May 2023.
32. Rodríguez Caraballo, Harry (11 August 2022). "Estos son los pueblos que más han ganado coronas en Miss Puerto Rico" [These are the towns that have won the most crowns in Miss Puerto Rico]. Metro Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
33. "Look alike beauty winners". The Daily Reporter. 21 June 2022. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
34. "Turkish Delight". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 21 June 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2023– via Newspapers.com.
35. "Brooklyn girl wins U.S. crown; seeks Miss Universe Title tonight". The Plain Speaker. 28 June 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 12 December 2022– via Newspapers.com.
36. Galicia, Elier (7 June 2022). "¿Quién era Sofía Silva Inserri, la primera Miss Venezuela de la historia?" [Who was Sofía Silva Inserri, the first Miss Venezuela in history?]. Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2023.

External links

• Miss Universe official website