Miss Universe facts for kids
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| Type | International women's beauty pageant |
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| Parent organization |
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| Headquarters |
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| First edition | 1952 |
| Most recent edition | 2025 |
| Current titleholder | Fátima Bosch Mexico |
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Owners
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CEO
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Mario Búcaro |
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Vice Presidents
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| Language/s | English |
Miss Universe is a big international competition held every year. It celebrates women from all over the world. This event is managed by the Miss Universe Organization. It is one of the four largest beauty pageants globally. The others are Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.
The Miss Universe Organization is currently owned by JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc. They work together through a company called JKN Legacy Inc. The pageant focuses on important humanitarian issues. It aims to inspire positive changes around the world.
The current Miss Universe is Fátima Bosch from Mexico. She was crowned on November 20, 2025. The crowning event took place in Pak Kret, Thailand.
Contents
The Story of Miss Universe
The name "Miss Universe" was first used in 1926 for a different contest. That early competition stopped in 1935. This was due to big economic problems and events before World War II.
The Miss Universe pageant we know today started in 1952. It was created by Pacific Knitting Mills. This company made swimwear in California, USA. They started the pageant after a disagreement with the Miss America contest.
The very first Miss Universe pageant was in Long Beach, California. It happened in 1952. Armi Kuusela from Finland won the first title. She later gave up her title to get married.
The pageant was first shown on TV in 1955. Later, CBS started broadcasting the event. Over the years, different companies owned the Miss Universe pageant. These included Kayser-Roth Corporation and Gulf and Western Industries.
In 1996, Donald Trump bought the pageant. The Miss Universe Organization moved its main office to New York City in 1998. From 2003 to 2014, NBC broadcast the pageant in the U.S.
In 2015, NBC ended its partnership with Trump and the Miss Universe Organization. This was due to disagreements. Trump then sold the company to WME/IMG. After this, Fox and Azteca became the new broadcasters.
In October 2022, a company from Thailand, JKN Global Group, bought the Miss Universe Organization. This was a big change. It meant the organization's headquarters moved outside the U.S. for the first time. Since 2022, the pageant has also been available on streaming services like The Roku Channel.
Recently, there have been changes in the leadership of the organization. Paula Shugart, the president, left in November 2023. Amy Emmerich, the CEO, also left in March 2024.
How Contestants Are Chosen
To join Miss Universe, a country needs to get special permission. A local company or person buys the rights to hold a national competition. This is called a franchise fee. It allows them to use the Miss Universe name and brand.
The number of countries participating changes each year. However, more than 70 countries have joined since 1989. Most countries choose their representative through a national pageant. Local winners compete to become their country's Miss Universe candidate. Sometimes, a country might choose a candidate directly.
Many new countries have joined the pageant recently. These include Cameroon (2020), Bahrain (2021), and Pakistan (2023). Macau joined in 2024 and made it to the Top 30 semifinals. Botswana was the last country to win Miss Universe in its first year of competing, in 1999. Denmark won its first national title in 2024.
Some countries do not participate due to cultural reasons or costs. The pageant is very popular in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Countries like the United States, Philippines, and Venezuela often do well. Only Canada and France have competed in every Miss Universe since 1952.
Changing Rules for Contestants
The rules for who can compete have changed over time. Since 2012, transgender women have been allowed to enter. In 2018, Angela Ponce from Spain was the first openly transgender contestant. In 2023, Marina Machete from Portugal became the first transgender contestant to reach the semifinals.
In 2019, Swe Zin Htet from Myanmar was the first openly lesbian contestant. Beatrice Gomez from the Philippines was the first openly bisexual contestant to reach the semifinals in 2021. These changes show the pageant's move towards greater inclusivity.
Before August 2022, contestants could not be married, pregnant, or mothers. Now, these rules have changed. Since 2023, mothers, married, or pregnant women can compete. In 2023, Camila Avella from Colombia became the first mother to reach the semifinals.
The minimum age for contestants is 18 years old. There is no longer an upper age limit. This means any adult woman can now compete to be Miss Universe. This rule started in 2024.
The Main Competition
The Miss Universe competition usually lasts about two weeks. It takes place between early November and late January. Sometimes, the event is moved to the next year. This can happen due to TV schedules or other big events.
The organizers say Miss Universe is more than just a beauty pageant. Contestants are expected to be smart, polite, and cultured. They compete in swimsuit and evening gown rounds. Judges score the contestants in each round.
In the semifinals, all previous scores are reset. A new competition begins. The public can also vote for a semifinalist in some years. All semifinalists are announced at the start of the live TV show.
What the Winner Does
The winner signs a contract with the Miss Universe Organization. This contract can last for many months. Miss Universe starts her duties right after being crowned. She becomes an ambassador for a public cause.
She spreads messages about important topics for a year. These topics include peace, health issues, and women's rights. The winner also receives money, a scholarship, and beauty products. She gets clothes, shoes, and styling services.
She also gets access to fashion shows and other events. She can find modeling opportunities in New York City. From 1996 to 2015, the winner lived in an apartment in New York City. Since 2022, the winner and runners-up live in both New York and Bangkok.
If the winner cannot finish her duties, the first runner-up takes over. This has only happened once. In 2002, Justine Pasek from Panama became Miss Universe. She took over from Oxana Fedorova of Russia.
Special awards are also given. These include Best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Congeniality. The delegates themselves choose Miss Congeniality. Since 2024, Continental Queens are also announced. They travel with Miss Universe.
Crowns of Miss Universe
The Miss Universe crown has changed twelve times in its history. Each crown has a unique design and story.
- The Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown (1952) was the first crown. It had 1,529 diamonds. Armi Kuusela wore it in 1952.
- The Christiane Martell Crown (1953) was made of metallic bronze. Christiane Martel was the only winner to wear it.
- The Star of the Universe Crown (1954–1960) had a star shape at the top. It was made with pearls and gold.
- The Rhinestone Crown (1961–1962) was made of rhinestones. It was used for the pageant's tenth anniversary.
- The Coventry Crown (1963–2001) was designed by Sarah Coventry. It featured a female figure. Its design was updated in 1973.
- The Mikimoto Phoenix Crown (2002–2007, and 2017–2018) showed a phoenix rising. It had 500 diamonds and 120 pearls. It was valued at US$250,000.
- The CAO Crown (2008) was designed by Rosalina Lydster. It had over 1,000 precious stones. It was valued at US$120,000.
- The Diamond Nexus Peace Crown (2009–2013) was chosen by public vote. It featured synthetic rubies. These represented HIV/AIDS awareness.
- The DIC Crown (2014–2016) was made by a Czech company. It was worth about US$300,000. It looked like the Manhattan skyline.
- The Mouawad Power of Unity Crown (2019–2021) is one of the most expensive crowns. It was worth almost US$6 million. It has a large golden canary diamond.
- The Mouawad Force for Good Crown (2022–2023) is the second Mouawad crown. It has blue sapphires and white diamonds. A large royal blue sapphire is at its center.
- The Jewelmer Lumière de l’Infini Crown (2024–present) was unveiled on November 13, 2024. It was designed by Jewelmer from the Philippines. It features golden South Sea pearls and diamonds. The name means "Light of Infinity."
Recent titleholders
| Edition | Year | Country/Territory | Miss Universe | National title | Competition venue | Number of entrants |
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| 70th | 2021 |  India |
Harnaaz Sandhu | Miss Diva Universe 2021 | Eilat, Israel | 80 |
| 71st | 2022 |  United States |
R'Bonney Gabriel | Miss USA 2022 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | 83 |
| 72nd | 2023 |  Nicaragua |
Sheynnis Palacios | Miss Nicaragua 2023 | San Salvador, El Salvador | 84 |
| 73rd | 2024 |  Denmark |
Victoria Kjær Theilvig | Miss Universe Denmark 2024 | Mexico City, Mexico | 125 |
| 74th | 2025 |  Mexico |
Fatima Bosch Fernandez | Miss Universe Mexico 2025 | Nonthaburi, Thailand | 120 |
The Miss Universe Organization
The Miss Universe Organization manages the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants. Between 2020 and 2022, it temporarily stopped organizing Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. These pageants returned to the organization in October 2022.
The organization has offices in New York City and Bangkok. Since October 2022, it has been owned by the Thai JKN Global Group. The organization sells the rights to broadcast the pageants to TV networks in different countries.
In Other Media
There were reports in 2013 that Electronic Arts was making a video game based on the pageant. However, the game's status is unknown now. This is because the studio that was making it closed.
See Also
- List of beauty pageants
- Big Four beauty pageants
Images for kids
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Miss Universe sash from 2001 until 2022
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Armi Kuusela, the first Miss Universe, meeting people in Helsinki, Finland
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The Christiane Martell Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1953, Christiane Martel
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The Star of the Universe Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1957, Gladys Zender
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The Coventry Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1968, Martha Vasconcellos
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The Mikimoto Phoenix Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova
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The CAO Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza
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The Diamond Nexus Peace Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes
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The DIC Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach
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The Mouawad Power of Unity Crown as worn by Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi
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Gloria Diaz, Miss Universe 1969, and Margarita Moran, Miss Universe 1973, at the Miss Universe 2016 red carpet - Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, the Philippines
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Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008 and Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008 at Guantanamo Bay
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Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008 and Stevi Perry, Miss Teen USA 2008
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Hilary Cruz, Miss Teen USA 2007 and Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007 attend the "Fashion Rocks the Universe" event prior to the Miss USA 2008 pageant.
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Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek, with Miss USA 2002, Shauntay Hinton and Miss Teen USA 2002, Vanessa Semrow at Guantanamo Bay
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Shawn Weatherly, Miss Universe 1980 and Kim Seelbrede, Miss USA 1981 together with then-US President Ronald Reagan
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See also
In Spanish: Miss Universo para niños
- List of beauty pageants
- Mrs. Universe
- Big Four beauty pageants
