Gladys Rosa Zender de Meier (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Zender Urbina; born October 19, 1939) is a Peruvian model and beauty queen who became the first Latin American to win the
Miss Universe title. She was crowned Miss Peru Universe 1957 by Miss Peru Universe 1956, Lola Sabogal Morzán.
Miss Universe
Born to a
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
father and a Peruvian mother, she won the title of
Miss Universe 1957 in
Long Beach,
California,
United States.
After being crowned, it was revealed that she was only 17 years old, a few months under the contest's minimum age requirement. Pageant officials decided that she could keep the crown after they were told she was considered to be 18 in Peru.
Return to Peru
Zender became an instant celebrity.
*She flew on the inaugural flight from
Idlewild International Airport in
New York City,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, to Limatambo Airport in
Lima, Peru, where she was greeted by thousands of fans.
*''
Caretas'', one of Peru's most-popular
newsmagazines, soon featured Zender on their cover. She was also later featured on that publication's first all-color cover.
* In March 1958, she agreed to accompany the then sailor
Juan Carlos de Borbon
Juan Carlos I (;,
* ca, Joan Carles I,
* gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...
, who was on a 4-day stay in Lima during his time as a trainee aboard Spain's insignia ship, the Sebastian Elcano, to a couple of social events.
He became King of Spain in 1975 and abdicated the crown to his son
Felipe VI, in 2014.
* The Peruvian composer
Alicia Maguiña wrote a song called "Polka a Gladys Zender" (Polka dedicated to Gladys Zender). It was also titled "La más hermosa" (The most beautiful) and was recorded by the Peruvian group
Los Troveros Criollos.
Personal life
Zender married Antonio Meier in 1965, and secluded herself into a family life; they had four children together. Their son,
Christian Meier, is a well-known actor and singer in Peru and has achieved some fame in other Latin American countries.
In 2003, Zender allowed ''Caretas'' to photograph her (and Meier's) home showcasing various artifacts, including a collection of
Incan art, the couple have acquired through their years together.
References
External links
Waltz for Gladys ZenderPeruvian waltz dedicated to Gladys Zender
Polka for Gladys ZenderPeruvian polka dedicated to Gladys Zender.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zender, Gladys
1939 births
Living people
Miss Universe 1957 contestants
Miss Universe winners
Peruvian beauty pageant winners
Peruvian female models
Spouses of politicians
Peruvian people of Swiss descent