Miss Universe 1961

Last updated
Miss Universe 1961
Marlene Schmidt Miss Universe 1961.jpg
Marlene Schmidt
Date15 July 1961
Presenters Johnny Carson
Venue Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Broadcaster CBS
Entrants48
Placements15
Debuts
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Madagascar
  • Republic of China
  • Rhodesia
  • Scotland
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • Wales
Withdrawals
  • Costa Rica
  • Hong Kong
  • Jordan
  • New Zealand
  • Portugal
  • Suriname
  • Tunisia
Returns
  • Ceylon
  • Guatemala
  • Puerto Rico
  • Turkey
Winner Marlene Schmidt
Flag of Germany.svg Germany
CongenialityEleftheria Deloutsi
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece
Photogenic Sharon Brown
Flag of the United States.svg United States
←  1960
1962  →

Miss Universe 1961 was the tenth Miss Universe pageant, held at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, United States on 15 July 1961.

Contents

At the end of the event, Linda Bement of the United States crowned Marlene Schmidt of Germany as Miss Universe 1961. Schmidt was the first representative of Germany to win the contest. [1]

Contestants from forty-eight countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Johnny Carson.

Background

Selection of participants

Contestants from forty-eight countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant.

Debuts, returns, and withdrawals

This edition saw the debuts of Ireland, Jamaica, Madagascar, the Republic of China, Rhodesia, Scotland, the United States Virgin Islands, and Wales, and the returns of Ceylon, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Turkey. [2] Ceylon and Puerto Rico last competed in 1957, while the others last competed in 1959. Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Jordan, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname, and Tunisia withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.

Helen Tan of Malaya and Julie Koh of Singapore were supposed to compete in the pageant. However, they chose to compete at Miss International in Long Beach, California instead. [3] [4] Koh eventually competed at Miss Universe the following year. [5]

Results

Miss Universe 1961 participating countries and territories Miss Universe 1961 Map.PNG
Miss Universe 1961 participating countries and territories

Placements

PlacementContestant
Miss Universe 1961
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up
4th runner-up
Top 15

Special awards

AwardContestant
Miss Congeniality
Miss Photogenic

Pageant

Format

Same with 1955, fifteen semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. [7] Each of the fifteen semi-finalists gave a short speech during the final telecast using their native languages. Afterwards, the fifteen semi-finalists paraded again in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were eventually chosen. [6]

Contestants

Forty-eight contestants competed for the title.

Country/TerritoryContestantAge [lower-alpha 1] Hometown
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Adriana Gardiazábal [8] 18 Buenos Aires
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Ingrid Bayer [9] 20 Vorarlberg
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Nicole Ksinozenicki [10] 18 Saint-Gilles
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia Gloria Soruco [11] 19 Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil Staël Maria da Rocha Abelha [12] 19 Caratinga
Flag of Burma (1948-1974).svg  Burma Khin Myint Myint [13] 18 Daik-U
Canadian Red Ensign (1957-1965).svg  Canada Wilda Reynolds [14] 19 Toronto
Flag of Ceylon (1951-1972).svg  Ceylon Ranjini Jayatilleke [15] – Colombo
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile María Gloria Silva [16] 22 Santiago
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia Patricia Whitman [17] 21 Medellín
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Martha García Vieta25 Miami, Florida
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Jyette Nielsen [18] 18 Copenhagen
Flag of Ecuador (1900-2009).svg  Ecuador Yolanda Palacios [19] 18 Guayaquil
Flag of England.svg  England Arlette Dobson18 Surrey
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Ritva Wächter [20] 20 Naantali
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg  France Simone Darot [21] 19 Paris
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Marlene Schmidt [22] 24 Stuttgart
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece Eleftheria Deloutsi [23] 18 Athens
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala Anabelle Sáenz– Guatemala City
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Holland Gita Kamman [24] 22 Amsterdam
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland Kristjana Magnúsdóttir [25] 21 Reykjanesbær
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Jean Russell21 Lisburn
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Atida Pisanti [26] 19 Haifa
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Vivianne Romano21 Lazio
Flag of Jamaica (1957-1962).svg  Jamaica Marguerite LeWars 20 Kingston
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan Akemi Toyama20 Tokyo
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon Leila Antaki [15] 22 Beirut
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Vicky Schoos18 Luxembourg City
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar Jacqueline Robertson22 Antananarivo
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Irene Gorsse– Rabat
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Rigmor Trengereid19 Bergen
Flag of Paraguay (1954-1988).svg  Paraguay María Cristina Osnaghi– Asunción
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru Carmela Stein20 Lima
Flag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg  Puerto Rico Enid del Valle20 Aguadilla
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China Wang Li-Ling19 Taipei
Flag of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964).svg  Rhodesia Jonee Sierra19 Salisbury
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Susan Jones20 Aberdeen
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa Marina Christelis20 Johannesburg
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg  South Korea Seo Yang-hee21 Seoul
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Pilar Gil Ramos19 Madrid
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Gunilla Knutsson 20 Ystad
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Liliane Burnier19 Geneva
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Gülseren Uysal– Istanbul
Flag of the United States.svg  United States Sharon Brown [27] 18 Minden
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  United States Virgin Islands Priscila Bonilla– Charlotte Amalie
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay Susanna Ferrari [16] – Montevideo
Flag of Venezuela (1954-2006).svg  Venezuela Ana Griselda Vegas20 Caracas
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Rosemarie Frankland 18 Lancashire

Notes

  1. ↑ Ages at the time of the pageant

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References

  1. ↑ "German engineer starting plush Miss Universe year". The Spokesman-Review . 17 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 18 October 2023– via Google News Archive.
  2. ↑ ""Miss V.I." off to Miami Beach". The Virgin Islands Daily News . 7 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Beauties on way to US get warm welcome during stop in Manila". The Singapore Free Press. 4 July 1961. p. 7. Retrieved 11 November 2022– via National Library Board.
  4. ↑ "K.L. girl wins the Miss Malaya title". The Straits Times . 11 May 1961. p. 16. Retrieved 9 December 2022– via National Library Board.
  5. ↑ "Miss Singapore flies to California next month". The Straits Times . 20 May 1961. p. 9. Retrieved 11 November 2022– via National Library Board.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Miss Germany wins contest". Daytona Beach Morning Journal . 15 July 1961. pp. 1–2A. Retrieved 18 October 2023– via Google News Archive.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "15 girls reach final beauty test". Youngstown Vindicator . 15 July 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 18 October 2023– via Google News Archive.
  8. ↑ "Loveliest girl in the world to become "Miss Universe"". Simpson's Leader-Times . 15 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 28 November 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Beauties at the White House". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . 6 July 1961. p. 13. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  10. ↑ "In Knokke is Nicole Ksinozenicki uit Sint Gillis (Brussel) tot miss België uitgeroepen" [In Knokke, Nicole Ksinozenicki from Sint Gillis (Brussels) was proclaimed Miss Belgium.]. Leeuwarder courant (in Dutch). 25 May 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 18 October 2023– via Delpher.
  11. ↑ "El título les dio alegrías, trabajo y fama que aún saborean" [The title gave them joy, work and fame that they still savor.]. El Deber (in European Spanish). 29 July 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Stael Abelha, primeira mineira eleita Miss Brasil, é vítima de Alzheimer". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Htwe, Nien Ei Ei (28 September 2009). "Former 'Miss Burma' winner passes away". The Myanmar Times . Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "Former 'Miss Canada' weds army man here". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 11 July 1962. p. 12. Retrieved 9 December 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Universal beauty displayed at Miami". Herald-Journal. 13 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Latin beauties in native costume". Herald-Journal. 7 July 1961. p. 18. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Sensación en Miami por Trajes Típicos de Srta. Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 11 July 1961. pp. 1, 21. Retrieved 18 October 2023– via Google News Archive.
  18. ↑ "Untitled". Atuagagdliutit (in Kalaallisut). 29 June 1961. p. 28. Retrieved 6 December 2022– via Tímarit.is.
  19. ↑ "Candidale ai massimi titoli di bellezza" [Nominee for top beauty titles]. La Stampa (in Italian). 1 July 1961. p. 5. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  20. ↑ Himberg, Petra (18 November 2009). "Miss Suomi 1961 Ritva Wächter". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Lo, Ricky (1 February 2017). "France 1st grand slam winner in world beauty pageants". Philippine Star . Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "Beauties parade for title tonight". The Gadsden Times. 14 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  23. ↑ "Downfall of Greece". Philadelphia Daily News. 15 July 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 19 February 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Ene miss Holland is voor ons in Florida". Het Parool (in Dutch). 12 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 19 February 2024– via Delpher.
  25. ↑ "Íslensk fegurð '61". Fálkinn (in Icelandic). 14 June 1961. pp. 18–20. Retrieved 19 February 2024– via Tímarit.is.
  26. ↑ "Untitled". The American Jewish World. 21 July 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 19 February 2024– via National Library of Israel.
  27. ↑ "Louisiana lass is 'Miss U.S.A.'". The Tuscaloosa News . 14 July 1961. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 22 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
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