Miss Universe 1952

Miss Universe 1952
Armi Kuusela
Date28 June 1952 (1952-06-28)
PresentersBob Russell
VenueLong Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States
Entrants30[1]
Placements10
Debuts
  • Alaska
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Cuba
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Great Britain
  • Greece
  • Hawaii
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • Norway
  • Panama
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Africa
  • Sweden
  • Turkey
  • Uruguay
  • United States
  • West Germany
  • Venezuela
WinnerArmi Kuusela
Finland
CongenialityMyriam Lynn (Belgium)
Valerie Johnson (Montana)
1953 →

Miss Universe 1952 was the first Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 28 June 1952.[2][3]

At the end of the event, actress Piper Laurie crowned Armi Kuusela of Finland as Miss Universe 1952.[2][4] It was the first victory of Finland in the history of the pageant.

Contestants from 30 countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Russell. The competition featured the Romanov Imperial Nuptial Crown, which was previously owned by a Russian czar. The crown was said to have 1,535 diamonds, 300 carats, and was valued at $500,000.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference u1952 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Coetzee, Nikita (16 October 2019). "PICS: This is what the very first Miss Universe pageant looked like 67 years ago!". News24. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  3. ^ Becker, Bill (22 June 1952). "Miss Universe to be chosen at Long Beach". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 7. Retrieved 7 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Bell, Diane (September 5, 2014). "La Jollan was 1st 'Miss Universe'". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Tayag, Voltaire (16 May 2021). "Miss Universe crowns: Sentimental favorites, all-time greats". Rappler. Retrieved 18 February 2023.