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Megan Willett and Gabbi Shaw Dec 3, 2019, 6:42 PM
Miss Universe has changed a lot through the years. AP
Miss Universe is one of the "Big Four" international beauty pageants, along with Miss World, Miss Earth, and Miss International.
Miss Universe 2019 will be held on December 8th after weeks of anticipation and preliminary events.
Insider took a look at the pageant's 67-year history to see how it has changed over the years.
The Miss Universe beauty pageant is 67 years old, and it can tell us a lot about how our perception of beauty has evolved over the years.
Even though the pageant began as a PR stunt after a swimsuit line was snubbed by Miss America, the pageant has grown into a behemoth, with anywhere from 80 to 94 contestants participating annually and representing different countries.
Keep scrolling to see how the competition and its winners have evolved over almost seven decades.
Miss Universe started in 1952 as a marketing stunt by a California clothing company, Pacific Knitting Mills, after the winner of rival pageant Miss America refused to wear one of its swimsuits.
Contestants at one of the earliest Miss Universes. AP
Miss America 1951, Yolanda Betbeze refused to pose in a bathing suit for Catalina Swimwear, so the company decided to make their own pageant, Miss Universe.
Only 30 contestants competed for the crown, and the first winner was Armi Kuusela of Finland.
Any country can compete in Miss Universe — all they need to do is pay a fee to the organization for franchise rights. However, this is partially why some smaller countries do not participate. They simply cannot afford it.
At first, the pageant was combined with the Miss USA pageant. It wasn't broadcast until 1955.
Some contestants in 1956 at a department store for the bathing suit competition. AP
John Daly was the pageant's first host. He continued hosting until 1966, when he was replaced by Bob Barker.
In those early years, Miss USA was essentially a preliminary phase in the Miss Universe contest.
Miss Universe
Leona Gage poses with the four runners-up after she was named Miss USA on July 17, 1957. HF/AP Images
Miss USA is still the representative of America at Miss Universe, but the two pageants have become more separate entities.
There are similarities between Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss America though. All require their contestants to be single, never have been married, and never have given birth to a child or parent a child. Generally, winners are also required to be single during their reign.
In 1959, Japan's Akiko Kojima became the first Asian woman to be crowned Miss Universe.
Akiko Kojima. AP
She was on the shorter side of winners at 5-foot-6 — still 2 inches taller than the average American woman.
In 1960, an interview portion was introduced to the contest. Here's a snapshot from that year, where the women wore their national costumes. It became a pageant staple.
Women wearing their national costumes. AP
The National Costume portion of the competition has become a viewer-favorite.
From the '70s through the '90s, the pageant was over a month long, including rehearsals and preliminary contests.
Contestants from 1971 waiting for the pageant walk-through to start. AP
They've since streamlined the contest down to a week.
The '60s and '70s really cemented what the pageant would look like in the future. Here, Bob Barker announces that Rina Messinger of Israel had won the title in 1976.
Rina Messinger of Israel registers her surprise when she is told she has won the Miss Universe Pageant of 1976, on July 11, 1976. AP
Barker was the host of Miss Universe from 1966 until 1987 — he resigned after the pageant refused to stop giving fur coats as prizes.
The finalists would always stand together while the runner-ups were announced.
Miss Universe 1978, Margaret Gardiner, on the far right. AP
Now, as the contestants learn the results, they exit the stage leaving the final two alone.
Even if the body types were becoming increasingly similar, the winners were becoming more diverse.
The first black Miss Universe was Miss Trinidad-Tobago Janelle Commissiong in 1977.
Miss Universe 1977, Janelle Commissiong, crowns Miss South Africa, Margaret Gardiner. Hal Moore/AP Images
Even though Commissiong won the Miss Photogenic award, it was still a surprise when she won the entire pageant.
The 1980s ushered in a new time of fit, gym-sculpted bodies. Miss USA, Shawn Weatherly, won in 1980.
Weatherly, on the left. AP
The swimsuit competition has remained a staple in the pageant. Here are the 1996 contestants in a pre-show competition (reminiscent of "Baywatch," perhaps?).
Contestants at Miss Universe 1996. AP
The 1996 pageant was the first one to be held under future US President Donald Trump's leadership.
Miss Venezuela, Alicia Machado, was crowned 1996 Miss Universe. She's since said she had a contentious relationship with then-pageant owner, future-POTUS Donald Trump.
Machado. AP
Trump's alleged treatment of Machado would come back to haunt him during his 2016 presidential campaign. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, reminded the world of how he, according to Machado, humiliated her by forcing her to exercise in front of a group of reporters after she gained weight during her reign.
Clinton and Machado alleged that Trump called her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping" as a reference to her Latin heritage.
The stage and performances have gotten bigger and more elaborate over the years.
The 2012 Miss Universe Competition, including eventual winner Olivia Culpo (second from the left). David Becker/Getty Images
Unlike Miss America, Miss Universe does not have a talent portion.
In 2015, current-President Trump was forced to sell the organization after comments made during his presidential campaign caused a controversy.
Trump and Miss Universe 2014, Gabriela Isler. AP
Trump bought every share of the pageant after NBC reportedly severed ties with him due to his controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants. He was then forced to sell the pageant, talent agency WME/IMG now its owner.
According to the pageant, winners must have intelligence and poise to handle the demands of their title. But a former judge told Forbes in 2011 that the winner is decided predominantly on her looks.
Miss Australia walking the runway. AP
"Beauty, beauty, beauty. It's all about beauty. But read their bios. Every single one of them is smart, too," the former judge told Forbes.
Miss Universe 2015 caused a stir when host Steve Harvey accidentally announced Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, as the winner instead of Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.
The debacle unfolding. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Harvey misread the cue card announcing the winner and runner-up, but others were convinced that it wasn't his fault. A theory posited that the teleprompter had the wrong names, and that's what confused Harvey.
The 2017 Miss Universe is former Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters.
Former Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere crowns Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters on November 26, 2017. John Locher/AP Images
Nel-Peters launched the Unbreakable initiative during her reign to empower women and help them learn to protect themselves after she was a victim of a violent carjacking.
"I'd love to turn Unbreakable into a foundation and work with safe havens to bring our empowerment workshops to the women they serve," she told Insider.
The first transgender contestant in Miss Universe history made her debut last year. Angela Ponce, Miss Spain, was favored to win the entire competition.
Ponce. Sakchai Lalit/AP Images
Miss Universe announced that it would allow transgender contestants in 2012 after a lawsuit, but it wasn't until 2018 that it saw its first contestant.
The Blast reported that Ponce was the clear favorite, with online bookies taking bets on her chances.
Ponce failed to make it to the top twenty, and Catriona Gray of the Philippines went on to win Miss Universe 2018.
Miss Philippines Catriona Gray, left, and Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green, reacts after announced the new Miss Universe during the final round of the 67th Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP
While Ponce was honored throughout the competition for her courage and historical impact over the competition, she was eventually eliminated and did not advance to the top twenty.
Catriona Gray was only 22-years-old when she won Miss Universe 2018. Her beauty and charisma always stands out, but Gray is also known for doing significant charity work for her home country of the Philippines. She has advocated for HIV-Aids awareness and three years before the pageant, when she was only 19-years-old, she was working to give a voice to children in the slums of Tondo.
Miss Universe will air on December 8, 2019, on Fox and in Spanish on Telemundo.
Miss El Salvador 2018 Marisela de Montecristo displays her costume during the Miss Universe National Costume Show. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Images
Though the National Costume Show doesn't count in the competition, it's anticipated and has become more elaborate over the years. The 2018 costumes have had some wild looks to add to the pageant's history.
The 2019 Miss Universe competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. Competitors from 90 different countries will be participating and Steve Harvey will be hosting once again.
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