Miss Universe

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant whose contestants compete for the title of Miss Universe. The titleholder serves a yearlong reign and represents the organization at public events.

Miss Universe judging: The evaluation process used to select a Miss Universe titleholder from the contestants. Judges compare contestants across competition stages before choosing the winner.
Miss America: An American beauty pageant founded in 1921 and held annually in Atlantic City. Miss Universe emerged in part from a dispute involving Miss America's swimsuit sponsor.
Armi Kuusela: A Finnish model who won the first Miss Universe title in 1952. Her win made her the pageant's inaugural titleholder.
Beauty pageant: A competition that ranks contestants through judged presentations and performances. Miss Universe is one of the world's most internationally visible pageants.
National beauty pageant: A competition in which contestants represent regions or communities within a country. Most contestants earn their places through national competitions.
Pacific Mills: An American textile company that manufactured Catalina swimwear. Its withdrawal of sponsorship from Miss America helped prompt the first Miss Universe pageant.
Sushmita Sen: An Indian actress and model who won Miss Universe in 1994. Her victory was India's first Miss Universe title.
Beauty standard: A culturally shaped idea of which physical features are considered attractive. The pageant has both reflected and faced criticism for promoting particular ideals of beauty.
Swimsuit competition: A pageant segment in which contestants are evaluated in swimwear. This historically prominent segment has also drawn criticism and undergone format changes.
1952 Miss Universe: The inaugural Miss Universe pageant, held in Long Beach, California, in 1952. The first contest established Miss Universe as an international event.

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