A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include 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. The term beauty pageant refers originally to the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by the United States–based Miss Universe Organization. It is one of the most watched pageants in the world with an estimated audience of over 500 million viewers in over 190 territories. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, Miss Universe is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects representatives to compete in Miss World, one of the Big Four major international beauty pageants. It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine published by The Times Group. Since 2013, Femina has also organised Miss Diva as a separate competition, with representatives competing at Miss Universe.
The Miss Universe Canada or "The Beauties of Canada" is a national beauty pageant in Canada, which sends its winners to the Miss Universe pageant.
Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held on June 3, 2003 at the Figali Convention Center in Panama City, Panama. Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic was crowned by Justine Pasek of Panama as her successor at the end of the event.
Miss Universe 2002, the 51st Miss Universe pageant, was held on May 29, 2002, at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 75 delegates competed in this year. Oxana Fedorova of Russia was crowned by Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico as her successor at the end of the event.
Miss Universe 1999, the 48th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 26 May 1999 at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago. Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana was crowned by Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago at the end of the event. This edition marks the most recent time that a first-time entry by any country has won Miss Universe and as well the first edition held back-to-back titles by blacks. 84 contestants competed in this year.
Puteri Indonesia is a national beauty pageant in Indonesia that selects the winners to represent the country in two of the Big Four major international beauty pageants; namely Miss Universe and Miss International. The pageant also selects representative for Miss Supranational pageant. Puteri Indonesia is traditionally held in March, alongside the celebration of International Women's Day.
Miss Universe Botswana is a beauty pageant that was first held in 1999, with winner competing in the Miss Universe pageant.
Maria Venus Bayonito Raj is a Filipino actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and placed 4th Runner-Up.
Miss Ukraine is a national Beauty pageant in Ukraine.
Leila Luliana da Costa Vieira Lopes Umenyiora is an Angolan model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2011. She had previously won Miss Angola UK 2010 and Miss Angola 2010, and was the first woman from Angola to win Miss Universe.
Miss International 2012, the 52nd Miss International pageant, was held on October 21, 2012 at Okinawa Prefectural Budokan Arena Building in Okinawa, Japan. Fernanda Cornejo from Ecuador crowned her successor Ikumi Yoshimatsu from Japan at the end of the event.
Marcelina Vahekeni is an Angolan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Angola 2011 and represented her country in the 2012 Miss Universe pageant.
Laura Beatriz Godoy Calle is a Guatemalan volleyball player, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Guatemala 2011 and represented her country in the 2012 Miss Universe contest.
Farah Eslaquit Cano is a Mexican-Nicaraguan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2012 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2012. She has a Diploma in Fashion, Modeling and Etiquette Course.
Miss World 2014, the 64th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 14 December 2014 at the ExCeL London in London, United Kingdom. 121 contestants competed for the crown. Megan Young of the Philippines crowned her successor Rolene Strauss of South Africa at the end of the event. This is the second time that South Africa has won the title outright and the third time they have held the title.
Elvira Devinamira Wirayanti is an Indonesian actress, Model, Beauty Pageant titleholder who was crowned Puteri Indonesia 2014, and represented her country at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant held at the FIU Arena at the Florida, United States, where she placed in the "Top 15" and won "Best National Costume" award for the second time for Indonesia, after Agni Pratistha in 2007. She is the third Indonesian and the first Javanese to be called as Miss Universe Finalists.
Larona Motlatsi Kgabo is a Botswana model who won the year 2011 Miss Universe Botswana competition.
Thuzar Wint Lwin, also known as Candy Thuzar, is a Burmese model, activist, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Myanmar 2020. She represented Myanmar at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant, where she placed in the Top 21 and won the Best National Costume award, becoming the first representative of Myanmar to place in the competition.
