Miss International

Miss International
Logo of the Miss International Pageant.
Formation	1960
Type	Beauty Pageant
Headquarters	Tokyo
Location	Japan
Website	Official website

Miss International (Miss International Beauty or The International Beauty Pageant) is an annual international beauty pageant held since 1960.^[1]

The current Miss International is Fernanda Cornejo, from Ecuador. She won the title on 6 November 2011 in China.^[2]

History

It was created in Long Beach, California, USA in 1960^[3] after the departure of the Miss Universe pageant to Miami Beach.^[4] Hosted in Long Beach until 1967,^[5] the pageant moved to Japan from 1968–1970, being hosted each year in the same city as the Expo '70. For 1971 and 1972, it was held in Long Beach again, but since that time it has been held annually in Japan.^[6]

Also called "Miss International Beauty",^[7] this pageant is not based on looks alone. Contestants are expected to serve as "Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty", showing tenderness, benevolence, friendship, beauty, intelligence, ability to take action, and, most importantly, a great international sensibility. The ultimate goal of the Miss International beauty pageant is to promote world peace, goodwill, and understanding.^[6]

Titleholders

See List of Miss International titleholders for the full list of titleholders.

Year	Country/Territory	Miss International	National title	Location
2012	TBA	TBA	TBA	Naha, Japan
2011	Ecuador	Fernanda Cornejo	Miss Ecuador	Chengdu, China
2010	Venezuela	Elizabeth Mosquera	Miss Venezuela	Chengdu, China
2009	Mexico	Anagabriela Espinoza	Nuestra Belleza México	Chengdu, China
2008	Spain	Alejandra Andreu	Miss Spain	Macau, China
2007	Mexico	Priscila Perales	Nuestra Belleza México	Tokyo, Japan
2006	Venezuela	Daniela di Giacomo	Miss Venezuela	Beijing, China
2005	Philippines	Lara Quigaman	Binibining Pilipinas	Tokyo, Japan
2004	Colombia	Jeymmy Vargas	Miss Colombia	Beijing, China
2003	Venezuela	Goizeder Azúa	Miss Venezuela	Tokyo, Japan
2002	Lebanon	Christina Sawaya	Miss Lebanon	Tokyo, Japan
2001	Poland	Małgorzata Rożniecka	Miss Polonia	Tokyo, Japan
2000	Venezuela	Vivian Urdaneta	Miss Venezuela	Tokyo, Japan

Winners gallery

• 

  Miss International 1991
  Agnieszka Kotlarska, Poland

• 

  Miss International 1998
  Lía Borrero, Panama

• 

  Miss International 1996
  Fernanda Alves, Portugal

• 

  Miss International 2009
  Anagabriela Espinoza, Mexico

• 

  Miss International 2005
  Precious Lara Quigaman, Philippines

By number of wins

Country/Territory	Titles	Winning years
Venezuela	6	1985, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2010
Philippines	4	1964, 1970, 1979, 2005
Spain	3	1977, 1990, 2008
Colombia		1960, 1999, 2004
Britain/ England		1969, 1972, 1986
Poland		1991, 1993, 2001
Australia		1962, 1981, 1992
USA		1974, 1978, 1982
Mexico	2	2007, 2009
Norway		1988, 1995
Germany		1965, 1989
Costa Rica		1980, 1983
Ecuador	1	2011
Lebanon		2002
Panama		1998
Portugal		1996
Greece		1994
Puerto Rico		1987
Guatemala		1984
France		1976
Yugoslavia[^]		1975
Finland		1973
New Zealand		1971
Brazil		1968
Argentina		1967
Iceland		1963
Holland		1961

^{^} Yugoslavia is now dissolved into 7 countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo (independence disputed), Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Performances by country and continental region

As of 2010:

Competing states

Map of Miss International-winning countries as of 2010.

• Colombia is the first Latin and South American country to win the Miss International title in 1960.

• Netherlands is the first European country to win the Miss International title in 1961.

• Venezuela has won a record of six Miss International titles. Four of those came in cycles of three years (1997, 2000, 2003, 2006). The country's first victory came in 1985.

• This also happened to the USA, three titles came in cycles of four years (1974, 1978, 1982).

• The Philippines and Lebanon are the only Asian countries to have won the Miss International title. The Philippines has won the title 4 times (1964, 1970, 1979, 2005) and Lebanon won the title in 2002.

• No African country has ever won the Miss International title. The nearest possibility came in 1996, when Tunisia placed first runner-up.

Delegates

• Most first winners of major beauty pageants are of Scandinavian descent: Armi Kuusela of Finland won Miss Universe 1952, Catharina Svensson of Denmark won Miss Earth 2001 and Kiki Håkansson of Sweden became Miss World 1951. Miss International is the exception wherein Stella Márquez of Colombia won the very first Miss International crown in 1960.^[8]

• Miss International remains the only one of the major international pageants^[9] with no winner resigned or dethroned: Miss Universe dethroned Oxana Fedorova in 2002 and Miss Earth dethroned Džejla Glavović in 2002^[10] and Miss World replaced Helen Morgan in 1974^[11] and Gabriela Brum in 1980.^[12]

• Almost all Miss International titleholders are still alive today, except the 1991 winner, Agnieszka Kotlarska of Poland, who was stabbed to death by a stalker in 1996.^[13]

• Five Miss International winners placed as runners-up or semifinalists in the Miss Universe pageant prior to their win at Miss International: Stella Márquez of Colombia, Top 15 semifinalist at Miss Universe 1960; Ilma Urrutia of Guatemala, Top 10 semifinalist at Miss Universe 1984; Laurie Simpson of Puerto Rico, fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 1987; Lía Victoria Borrero, Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1997; and Priscila Perales, Top 10 finalist at Miss Universe 2006.

• Two Miss International winners placed as semifinalists in the Miss World pageant prior to their win at Miss International: Goizeder Azua of Venezuela, Top 10 finalist at Miss World 2002; and Anagabriela Espinoza of Mexico, Top 15 semifinalist at Miss World 2008.

• Since the 1966 Miss International pageant was canceled, 1965 winner Ingrid Finger's reign was the longest among titleholders, totaling 624 days (more than 20 months). For a one-year reign, the longest belonged to her successor, Miss International 1967 Mirta Teresita Massa who held the title for 529 days (more than 17 months). The shortest reign was that of 1975 winner Lidija Manić, which spanned just 242 days (less than eight months).

• Lidija Manić of Yugoslavia was a Miss Universe delegate who didn't place at that pageant and later won the Miss International title in 1975.

• Sophie Perin of France was a Miss Universe and Miss World delegate who didn't place at both pageants and later won the Miss International title in 1976.

• Anne Lena Hansen of Norway and Christina Sawaya of Lebanon didn't place at Miss World and later won the Miss International title in 1994 and in 2002, respectively.

• Miss International 1964, Gemma Teresa Cruz of the Philippines is the first Asian to win the Miss International title.

• Miss International 2002, Christina Sawaya of Lebanon is the first Middle Eastern to win the title .

• Miss International 2004, Jeymmy Vargas of Colombia is the first black winner in the history of the pageant.

• The longest gap between Miss International titles belongs to Colombia: Stella Márquez won the title in 1960, and 39 years later, Paulina Gálvez became the second recipient of her country.

• The shortest gap belongs to Mexico: Priscila Perales in 2007, Anagabriela Espinoza in 2009; and Poland: Agnieszka Kotlarska in 1991, Agnieszka Pachałko in 1993.

• Two Miss International delegates placed as runner-up in the pageant and later won the Miss World title: Catharina Johanna Lodders of Holland, third runner-up at Miss International 1962; and Aneta Kręglicka of Poland, first runner-up at Miss International 1989.

• One Miss International delegate placed as semifinalist in the pageant and later won the Miss Universe title: Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico, Top 15 semifinalist at Miss International 1992.

References

External links

• Official Miss International Website

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