Miss Universe 1974
Encyclopedia
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, was held 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...
on the early morning of July 21, 1974 (evening of July 20 in the United States) before a live audience of an estimated 10,000 at the Folk Arts Theater and broadcast live by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Radio Philippines Network (RPN)
Radio Philippines Network
Radio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...
. The pageant was hosted by Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
and Helen O'Connell
Helen O'Connell
Helen O'Connell was an American singer, actress, and dancer.Born in Lima, Ohio, O'Connell joined the Jimmy Dorsey band in 1939 and achieved her best selling records in the early 1940s with "Green Eyes", "Amapola," "Tangerine" and "Yours"...
. It was the first time in the Pageant's history that the event was held in Asia.
The pageant opened with the parade of nations of all 65 contestants in their native costumes singing "Let's Be Friends," accompanied by the honor guard cadets of the Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
. The pageant contestants also performed a second musical number based on an Ilocano melody entitled "Pamulinawen," a song considered to be a personal favorite of then Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
.
First Miss Universe (1952), Armi Kuusela
Armi Kuusela
3. ; Victoria Advocate, 5 May, 19534. ; Owosso Argus-Press, 30, June 1952-External links:*...
of Finland, Miss Universe 1967, Sylvia Hitchcock
Sylvia Hitchcock
Sylvia Louise Hitchcock-Carson is a pageant titleholder who held the Miss USA 1967 and Miss Universe 1967 titles.Hitchcock was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts and grew up on a chicken farm in Miami, Florida. She attended Palmetto High School, Miami-Dade Junior College and studied art at the...
of the USA, and Miss Universe 1969, Gloria Diaz
Gloria Diaz
Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz is an award-winning actress in the Philippines, and the first Filipino to bring home the Miss Universe crown.-Early Life and Family:...
of the Philippines graced the event. Outgoing Miss Universe Margarita Moran, of the Philippines crowned the tearful pageant winner, Amparo Muñoz
Amparo Muñoz
Amparo Muñoz Quesada was a Spanish actress who, in 1974, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard to win the Miss Universe pageant.-Miss Universe 1974:Amparo Muñoz came from the town of Vélez-Málaga, Andalusia,...
of Spain at the conclusion of the 2-hour telecast. First runner-up Helen Morgan of Wales would eventually win the title of Miss World (representing the United Kingdom) later that year.
Ironically, neither Ms. Muñoz nor Ms. Morgan completed her reign. Citing irreconcilable differences with the pageant, Miss Muñoz abruptly resigned her Miss Universe title a few months after winning her crown. By that time, Miss Morgan had already won the Miss World crown, only to relinquish her title just a few days after winning it after it was revealed she was an unmarried mother. Muñoz was never officially dethroned and the title was not offered to any of the other runner-ups.
Manila again hosted the event 20 years later when it became the host city for the Miss Universe 1994
Miss Universe 1994
Miss Universe 1994, the 43rd Miss Universe pageant, was held at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center, in Manila, Philippines on May 20, 1994...
pageant. Amparo Muñoz went on to pursue a successful acting career in film and television in her native country Spain.
Placements
| Final results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1974 |
|
| 1st runner-up |
 Wales - Helen Elizabeth Morgan |
| 2nd runner-up |
 Finland - Johanna RaunioJohanna Raunio Johanna Raunio was chosen Miss Finland in 1974. Ms. Raunio competed in the 1974 Miss Universe and Miss International pageants and placed second runner-up in both competitions. She works nowadays as a hostess and actress. Since 2005, she has played Tanja Jääskeläinen in the Finnish soap series... |
| 3rd runner-up |
 Colombia - Ella Cecilia Escandon |
| 4th runner-up |
 Aruba - Maureen Ava Vieira |
| Top 12 |
 Australia - Yasmin May Nagy Kingdom of England - Kathleen Ann Anders India - Shailini Bhavnath Dholakia Panama - Jasmine Nereida Panay Philippines - Guadalupe Sanchez Puerto Rico - Sonia María Stege Chardón United States - Karen MorrisonKaren Morrison Karen Jean Morrison-Comstock is a beauty queen from St. Charles, Illinois who held the Miss USA 1974 title.-Pageants:Comstock entered the Miss Illinois USA pageant at the suggestion of her modeling agency who owned the franchise and her sister who encouraged her to participate. Paula Zahn, an... |
Special Awards
- Congeniality:
Iceland, Anna Bjornsdóttir - Photogenic: Finland, Johanna RaunioJohanna RaunioJohanna Raunio was chosen Miss Finland in 1974. Ms. Raunio competed in the 1974 Miss Universe and Miss International pageants and placed second runner-up in both competitions. She works nowadays as a hostess and actress. Since 2005, she has played Tanja Jääskeläinen in the Finnish soap series...
- Best National Costume:
- , Kim Jae-kyu
Contestants
Leonor Guggini Celmira Maureen Ava Vieira Yasmin May Nagy Eveline Engleder Agatha Elizabeth Watson Anne-Marie Sophie Sikorski Joyce Ann De Rosa Teresa Isabel Callau Sandra Guimaraes De Oliveira Deborah Tone Jeannette Rebecca Gonzalez Ella Cecilia Escandon Palacios Rebeca Montagne Catherine Adelle De Jongh Andri Tsangaridou Jacqueline Candina Cabrera Ana Carlota Araujo Kathleen Ann Celeste Anders Riitta Johanna RaunioJohanna Raunio
Johanna Raunio was chosen Miss Finland in 1974. Ms. Raunio competed in the 1974 Miss Universe and Miss International pageants and placed second runner-up in both competitions. She works nowadays as a hostess and actress. Since 2005, she has played Tanja Jääskeläinen in the Finnish soap series...
Brigitte Marie Flayac Ursula Faustle Lena Kleopa Elizabeth Clara Tenorio Nicoline Maria Broeckx Etelinda Mejia Velasquez Jojo Cheung Anna Bjornsdottir Shailini Bhavnath Dholakia Nia Kurniasi Ardikoesoema Yvonne Costelloe Edna Levy Loretta Persichetti Lennox Anne Black
Eriko Tsuboi Kim Jae-kyu Laudy Salim Ghabache Maria Yatta Johnson Giselle Anita Nicole Azzeri Lily Chong Josette Pace Guadalupe Del Carmen Elorriaga Valdez Dianne Deborah Winyard Fanny Duarte De Leon Tapia Jazmine Nereida Panay Maria Angela Zulema Medina Guadalupe Cuerva Sanchez Anna Paula Machado Moura Sonia Maria Stege Chardon Catherine Robertson Thioro Thiam Angela Teo Amparo Muñoz Quesada
Amparo Muñoz
Amparo Muñoz Quesada was a Spanish actress who, in 1974, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard to win the Miss Universe pageant.-Miss Universe 1974:Amparo Muñoz came from the town of Vélez-Málaga, Andalusia,...
Melani Irene Wijendra Bernadette Werners Eva Christine Roempke Christine Lavanchy Benjamas Ponpasvijan Stephanie Lee Pack Simiten Gakirgoz Mirta Grazilla Rodriguez Karen Jean Morrison Neyla Chiquinquira Moronta Sangronis
Neyla Moronta
Neyla Chiquinquirá Moronta Sangronis is a pageant titleholder, was born in Cabimas, Zulia, Venezuela on October 31, 1953. She is the Miss Venezuela titleholder for 1974, and was the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss Universe 1974 pageant held in Manila, Philippines, on July 19,...
Thelma Yvonne Santiago Helen Elizabeth Morgan Nada Jovanovsky
Trivia
- This is the first Miss Universe Pageant to be held in the continent of Asia and the first one to be held in the morning in order to coincide with Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.
- The favorite among all 65 delegates that year by the Filipino audience was Miss Aruba, Maureen Ava Viera. After the pageant was over, Maureen stayed in the Philippines and became an actress.
- Amparo Munoz is the first and still the only Spaniard to ever win the Miss Universe title. Incidentally, the Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for over 300 years. Because of this, Spanish is the 3rd language in the Philippines and the only predominantly Catholic nation in Asia. To this day, a part of southern Philippines still speaks a dialect derived from Spanish called Chabacano. Because of the Spanish influence in that country, most Filipinos bear Spanish names.
- There were 5 delegates that year that also competed at Miss World the same year. They were Misses Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Mexico, Nicaragua and Wales.
- Ireland (Yvonne Costelloe) and Luxembourg (Giselle Anita Nicole Azzeri) competed at the Miss World pageant in 1973. Honduras (Etelinda Mejía Velásquez) competed the said pageant in 1975, Cyprus (Andri Tsangaridou) in 1976 and Guam (Elizabeth Clara Tudela Tenorio) in 1978.
- There were supposed to be 67 contestants that year. However, two delegates withdrew, namely Miss Denmark, Jane Moller and Miss Norway, Wenche Steen.
- Both hosts, Bob Barker and Helen O'Connell wore native Philippine outfits that year. Bob wore a Barong Tagalog while Helen wore a Philippine Terno.
- Before giving the crown to the 1974 Miss Universe, outgoing Miss Universe Margarita Moran paraded with two crowns on her head. She then gave the second crown to the winner.
- The venue of the event, Folk Arts Theater was commissioned by then First LadyFirst Lady of the PhilippinesThe First Lady/ Gentleman of the Philippines is the unofficial title of the hostess/host of the Malacañang Palace, the nation's residence of its head of state...
Imelda MarcosImelda MarcosImelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
and was built for only 90 days in time for this event. It was inaugurated on July 7, 1974. - Amparo MuñozAmparo MuñozAmparo Muñoz Quesada was a Spanish actress who, in 1974, became the first, and so far, only Spaniard to win the Miss Universe pageant.-Miss Universe 1974:Amparo Muñoz came from the town of Vélez-Málaga, Andalusia,...
died on February 27, 2011, aged 56, from undisclosed causes, in her native MálagaMálagaMálaga 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...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Panel of Judges
- Dana AndrewsDana AndrewsDana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
- Edilson Cid Varela
- Peggy Flemming
- José GrecoJosé GrecoJose Greco was a flamenco dancer and choreographer.He was born in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy of Italian parents. He was raised in New York City from the time he was 10 years old. He began dancing in Brooklyn with his sister Norina at a young age.He made his professional dancing debut in 1937 at...
- Kyoshi Hara
- Sterling Moss
- Alysa Pashi
- Carlos Romulo
- Leslie UggamsLeslie UggamsLeslie Uggams is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her work in Hallelujah, Baby! She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.-Singing:...
- Jerry WestJerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
- Earl WilsonEarl WilsonRobert Earl Wilson was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres . Wilson batted and threw right-handed...