Amparo Muñoz
Encyclopedia
Amparo Muñoz Quesada was a Spanish actress who, in 1974
, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard
to win the Miss Universe
pageant.
,
where she had won the city title, to compete at the Miss Spain
contest held in Lanzarote
. After winning, she went on to Miss Universe
1974 Pageant in Manila
, Philippines
, where she won, only to give up her crown later that year.
, Pedro Carrasco
, Rocío Dúrcal
, Rocío Jurado
, Camilo Sesto
, La Pandilla
and other Spanish celebrities of the 1970s, following her victory at Miss Universe with a fruitful show business career.
In 1979, Muñoz acted in the comedy Mama Turns 100, by Carlos Saura
. This was followed by performances in 1982's Todo un Hombre (He's all a Man), 1999's A Paradise Under the Stars and 2003's El Tahur. In the late-1990s, she returned to the mainstream Spanish cinema with the movie Familia, by Fernando León de Aranoa and started a new life as an actress.
.
Miss Universe 1974
Miss Universe 1974, the 23rd Miss Universe pageant, was held in Manila, Philippines on the early morning of July 21, 1974 before a live audience of an estimated 10,000 at the Folk Arts Theater and broadcast live by CBS and Radio Philippines Network . The pageant was hosted by Bob Barker and Helen...
, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
to win the Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
pageant.
Miss Universe 1974
Amparo Muñoz came from the town of Vélez-Málaga, AndalusiaAndalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
,
where she had won the city title, to compete at the Miss Spain
Miss Spain
Miss España is the main annual beauty pageant of Spain that selects the official representative to the Miss Universe pageant. Runners-up go to Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth.-History:...
contest held in Lanzarote
Lanzarote
Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
. After winning, she went on to Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
1974 Pageant in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where she won, only to give up her crown later that year.
Acting career
She became an instant celebrity in Spain, alongside the likes of Nino BravoNino Bravo
Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis , better known by his stage name Nino Bravo, was a Spanish pop singer.-Early life:...
, Pedro Carrasco
Pedro Carrasco
Pedro Carrasco was a Spanish boxer whose fame transcended the boxing ring. During the 1970s, he was a media darling in Spain.Carrasco was crowned European Lightweight champion in 1967...
, Rocío Dúrcal
Rocío Dúrcal
Rocío Dúrcal , born as María de los Ángeles de Las Heras Ortíz, was a Spanish singer and actress, known artistically as Rocío Durcal. Spanish is the best selling solo albums with more than 80 million to date...
, Rocío Jurado
Rocío Jurado
María del Rocío Trinidad Mohedano Jurado , was a Spanish singer and actress. She was born in Chipiona, Cádiz, Spain and was nicknamed "La más grande" . Jurado was once married to boxer Pedro Carrasco, with whom she had a daughter, Rocío Carrasco...
, Camilo Sesto
Camilo Sesto
Camilo Blanes Cortés , better known as Camilo Sesto, is a Spanish singer , composer and producer who enjoyed fame during the 1970s and the 1980s...
, La Pandilla
La Pandilla
La Pandilla was a teen music group of the 1970s. La Pandilla, founded in 1970 by Pepa Aguirre. The group had members of both sexes, unlike most pop music bands....
and other Spanish celebrities of the 1970s, following her victory at Miss Universe with a fruitful show business career.
In 1979, Muñoz acted in the comedy Mama Turns 100, by Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
. This was followed by performances in 1982's Todo un Hombre (He's all a Man), 1999's A Paradise Under the Stars and 2003's El Tahur. In the late-1990s, she returned to the mainstream Spanish cinema with the movie Familia, by Fernando León de Aranoa and started a new life as an actress.
Death
Muñoz died on February 27, 2011, aged 56, from undisclosed causes, in her native MálagaMálaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
.