The first “Miss Universe” contest took place in 1952, that’s when the most beautiful woman on the planet was chosen for the first time in history. Over the years, the beauty pageant has undergone many changes, experimented with various trials, and added various tasks for participants. The criteria by which the participant’s appearance and parameters were evaluated have also changed over the decades. Miss Universe has quickly become the largest pageant out there, airing in almost 200 countries worldwide to an audience of over 500 million people.
It’s been almost 70 years since the first Miss Universe was announced. And every year, the pantheon of beauties has been expanding, adding girls from all over the world. But today, we’ll take a look at the most wonderful pageant winners from Asia.
1) Akiko Kojima (Japan) — Miss Universe 1959
22-year-old Akiko Kojima was the first-ever Miss Universe winner from Asia.
2) Apasra Hongsakula (Thailand) — Miss Universe 1965
The second time an Asian girl was crowned happened in 1965. The stunning Apasra Hongsakula from Thailand won over the judges with her immense charisma.
3) Gloria Maria Diaz (Philippines) — Miss Universe 1969
The nicest year of the last century (can’t get better than the ’69, am I right?) brought us a bombshell from the Philippines — Gloria Maria Diaz.
4) Georgina Rizk (Lebanon) — Miss Universe 1971
Just two years after Gloria, Georgina Rizk from Lebanon donned the crown.
5) Maria Margarita Moran (Philippines) — Miss Universe 1973
In 1973 the Philippines struck back! 19-year-old Maria Margarita Moran won not only the main prize but also the title of Miss Photogenic.
6) Rina Messinger (Israel) — Miss Universe 1976
The 25th Miss Universe contest was dominated by a stunning Israeli girl — Rina Messinger.
7) Porntip Nakhirunkanok (Thailand) — Miss Universe 1988
Twelve years have passed since Asia had won the title of Miss Universe, and in 1988, Porntip Nakhirunkanok made her country proud!
8) Sushmita Sen (India) — Miss Universe 1994
Strangely, the first Miss Universe from India was selected in 1994, over 40 years after the first pageant. Sushmita Sen’s killer smile secured the win for her and made her a national celebrity.
9) Lara Dutta (India) — Miss Universe 2000
But if you think Sushmita was famous, wait till you hear about Lara Dutta! She was 22 when the big success finally hit her. After winning the title of Miss Universe, she started acting in movies and became one of the biggest Bollywood stars in India.
10) Riyo Mori (Japan) — Miss Universe 2007
The second Japanese winner was Riyo Mori, a 31-year-old model. She was planning on going into the show business, but those plans went awry.
11) Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (Philippines) — Miss Universe 2015
The second most recent Asian beauty to win the title was Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach from the Philippines. Most of you may know her as the actress and model Pia Romero.
12) Catriona Gray (Philippines) — Miss Universe 2018
And the newest winner of the Miss Universe contest is yet another gal from the Philippines — Catriona Gray, a Filipino-Australian model and a wonderful singer!
I wonder who will win the 2020 crown.
