History of Miss Universe in Photos

There were 29 contestants (more or less)...
The program book cost 35 cents...
The winner was crowned in a swimsuit...
The first runner-up was representing Hawaii...

A lot has changed, in the world and in pageantry, since that first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, Calif., on June 28, 1952.
But one thing has never varied: the loveliness of the winners.
Through the kind offices of pageant officials and a private collector, Pageant News Bureau presents a few of the women who have won the most audaciously named beauty title in history: Miss Universe.