A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants, although most contests have evolved to also incorporate personality traits, intelligence, talent, and a contestant's ability to answer judges' questions on various subjects as judged criteria. The term refers largely to contests for women such as the Big Four international beauty pageants. Hundreds of thousands of beauty contests are held annually, but the Big Four are considered the most prestigious, widely covered and broadcast by media. The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, CNN, Xinhua News Agency, and global news agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse collectively refer to the four major pageants as "Big Four" namely: Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.
Miss World 2006, the 56th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 30 September 2006 at the Sala Kongresowa, the main 2,897-seat auditorium of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland. It was the first time ever that the pageant was held in the Continental Europe and a European city other than London, United Kingdom, having previously been held there in 2002 after the Nigeria Controversy. The pageant officially concluded after Taťána Kuchařová from the Czech Republic was crowned Miss World 2006 by outgoing titleholder Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir of Iceland.
Miss Earth 2001 was the first edition of Miss Earth pageant, organized by Carousel Productions. The pageant coronation night was held on 28 October 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City, Philippines. There were 42 delegates who competed in the pageant that focuses on environmental issues. Catharina Svensson of Denmark, a professional equestrienne, fashion model, and third year law student, was crowned as the pageant's first winner.
Hil Yesenia Hernández Escobar is a Chilean journalist, model, environmentalist, and beauty queen who won Miss Earth 2006 pageant becoming the first Chilean to win the coveted crown.
The Top Model of the World is an international search for the ultimate model. The event started in 1993 in Miami, organised by the Globana Group. It is now owned and managed by the World Beauty Organization.
Miss Universe 2008, the 57th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 14 July 2008 at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela was crowned by Riyo Mori of Japan as her successor at the end of the event. 80 contestants competed in this year which was broadcast and distributed globally via NBC in English and Telemundo in Spanish to TV outlets in more than 180 countries. The pageant was watched by a live audience of 7,500 and nearly a billion television viewers worldwide.
Miss Bolivia is a national beauty pageant in Bolivia.
The Miss Bolivia 2008 pageant was held on July 19, 2008. This year only 25 candidates are competing for the national crown. The chosen winner will represent the Bolivia at the Miss Universe 2009. Miss Bolivia Mundo represent Bolivia in Miss World 2008. Miss Bolivia Internacional represent Bolivia in Miss International 2008. Miss Bolivia Tierra represent Bolivia in Miss Earth 2008. Miss Bolivia Reina de Turismo Internacional represent Bolivia in Miss Tourism Queen International 2009.
Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada is a Venezuelan model, actress,film producer and former beauty pageant contestant, who won Miss Universe 2008. She previously won Miss Venezuela 2007 on September 13, 2007 in Caracas.
Hannelly Zulami Quintero Ledezma is a Venezuelan actress, model, TV presenter, and beauty queen. She won Miss World Venezuela 2007 and Miss Intercontinental 2009. She competed in the Miss World 2008 beauty pageant, on December 13 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and ranked as one of the top fifteen semifinalists. Quintero also won the title of Miss World Americas.
Natalia Valenzuela Cutiva is a Colombian beauty pageant titleholder. Valenzuela won the Miss Huila 2010 contest which allowed her to participate in the Miss Colombia 2010 pageant, where she won the title of 1st princess and Miss Colombia International.
Yessica Mouton Gianella is a Bolivian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Bolivia 2011, and represented her country in the 2012 Miss Universe.
Claudia Arce Lemaitre is a Bolivian actress, singer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Bolivia 2009, representing the Department of Chuquisaca. In the development of the contest she won titles as Yanbal Face Best Smile and Best National Costume. Claudia stood for Bolivia in the Queen of the World 2009 contest held at Berlin, Germany, and also in Miss Universe 2010, without success. She was the first woman born in Bolivia's Department of Chuquisaca who participated in Miss Universe.
The Big Four refers to the four major international beauty pageants for women – Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth. The group was first described by the China Daily newspaper in 2004 as "the world's four major beauty contests", Chosun Ilbo newspaper in 2010 described them as "the world's top four beauty pageants". In 2017, the Latin Times considered the group as the "most important pageants in the world". In 2018, NBC News referred to them as the "four biggest international pageants", while Agencia EFE delineated them in 2019 as the "four most influential beauty pageants in the world".
Karina Ramos Leiton is a Costa Rican TV Host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Costa Rica 2014 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2014. She's also the CEO, and owner of the modeling agency Imagination Agency S.A., created by her for preparing future beauty pageant candidates. In 2019 she created her brand Fireproof by Kary.
Miss Universe 2015, the 64th Miss Universe pageant, was held on December 20, 2015 at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Paulina Vega of Colombia crowned her successor Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines at the end of the event. After 42 years, this is the third time the Philippines won Miss Universe, after Margarita Moran in 1973. 80 contestants competed for the crown.
Miss World 2018, the 68th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 8 December 2018 at the Sanya City Arena in Sanya, China. Manushi Chhillar of India crowned her successor Vanessa Ponce of Mexico at the end of the event. She is the first Mexican woman to win Miss World.
Adriana Maria Paniagua Cabrera is a Nicaraguan model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss Nicaragua 2018 and competed at Miss Universe 2018 pageant.
Marian Joyce Prado Rivera is a Bolivian model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Bolivia 2018. she represented Bolivia at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant. Prado was stripped of her Miss Santa Cruz and Miss Bolivia crowns for 'breach of contract', when she revealed she was pregnant in April 2019.
Nellys Rocio Pimentel Campusano is a Puerto Rican model, psychologist and international beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Earth 2019. She became the first-ever Puerto Rican and Caribbean woman to win Miss Earth, one of the Big Four most influential beauty pageants in the world.
