A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
A swimsuit competition, more commonly now called a bikini contest, is a beauty contest which is judged and ranked while contestants wear a swimsuit, typically a bikini. One of the judging criteria is the physical attractiveness of the contestants. The Big Four international beauty pageants have included examples of such a competition.
Catalina is a brand of women's swimwear. It was once one of the oldest clothing manufacturers in California. Their history began in 1907, as Bentz Knitting Mills, a small manufacturer of underwear and sweaters. The name was changed to Pacific Knitting Mills in 1912, accompanied by the introduction of swimwear to their existing knit lines. The name was changed again finally to Catalina in 1928.
Miss Brazil is a Brazilian national beauty pageant, held annually since 1954. The competition has gone through several incarnations throughout its history, while its main purpose has been to select the Brazilian representative for the Miss Universe pageant. From 2020-2023, the pageant has been owned by Brazilian businessman Winston Ling, while Marthina Brandt has served as its national director.
Miss Austria is a national Beauty pageant in Austria.
Miss United States is a pageant held in the United States for unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 29. The pageant includes women selected to represent all 50 states, District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Miss Nederland is a national beauty pageant in the Netherlands. The pageant was founded in 1929 in Amsterdam.
Miss Universe 1956 was the fifth Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 20 July 1956.
The Miss Universe Ireland is a national beauty pageant that has selected Ireland's representative to the Miss Universe pageant since 2002.
Seawall Boulevard is a major road in Galveston, Texas in the United States. The boulevard is conterminous with Farm to Market Road 3005 south of 61st Street. It runs along the Gulf coast waterfront of the island near the main parts of the city, and is the longest, continuous sidewalk in the United States at 10.3 miles long. It is named for the Galveston Seawall built along the beaches.
The First International Pageant of Pulchritude and Seventh Annual Bathing Girl Revue, was a beauty pageant held from May 15 to 17, 1926, in Galveston, Texas. The previous editions of the Galveston Bathing Girl Revue had only featured contestants from the United States. However, during the 1926 event, one contestant from Mexico and another from Canada entered, giving the pageant its first international competitors. It was reported that around 160,000 people watched the bathing costume parade on the afternoon of the 16th.
The Second International Pageant of Pulchritude and Eighth Annual Bathing Girl Revue was held from May 21 to 23, 1927, in Galveston, Texas. More contestants from outside the United States entered the pageant compared to the previous year, with women from Cuba, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain joining. Canada and Mexico also sent delegates, as they had in 1926. There were also 29 contestants from the United States. An estimated 250,000 people attended the events during that weekend, and over $5000 in prizes were given to the winners. The pageant was becoming known as an opportunity for potential movie and stage actresses to be discovered.
Miss Europe 1929 was the second annual Miss Europe pageant and the first under French journalist Maurice de Waleffe. Maurice de Waleffe also created in 1920, what in 1927 had become the Miss France pageant. Miss Hungary, Böske Simon, won the pageant title and became the first Jewish women to be crowned Miss Europe. Eighteen European girls competed.
Miss America 1923, was the third Miss America pageant, held at the Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, September 7, 1923.
Miss Argentina is a national beauty pageant in Argentina, founded in 1928. In 1962, Norma Nolan of Santa Fe became the first, and only, Miss Argentina to win the title of Miss Universe. Currently, the competition is managed by Keno Manzur, a beauty pageant entrepreneur.
The 1928 International Pageant of Pulchritude was the third annual International Pageant of Pulchritude, held at the Galveston Island Beach Revue in Galveston, Texas from June 2–5, 1928.
The Miss Universe România is a national beauty pageant that has selected Romania's representative to the Miss Universe pageant.
Miss International 2019, the 59th Miss International pageant, was held on November 12, 2019, at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Bunkyo district Tokyo, Japan. Mariem Velazco of Venezuela crowned her successor Sireethorn Leearamwat of Thailand at the end of the event.
Lisl Goldarbeiter was an Austrian model and actress, who in 1929, became the first and only Austrian to win the Miss Universe title. She also participated in the Miss Europe competition in 1929.
