Miss Universe 1975, the 24th
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall St ...
pageant, was held on 19 July 1975 at the
National Gymnasium in
San Salvador
San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital it ...
,
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south ...
.
Anne Marie Pohtamo
Anne Marie Pohtamo (born 15 August 1955) is a Finnish actress, model and beauty queen who was the second woman from Finland to capture the Miss Universe crown. She claimed the Miss Universe crown in 1975 at the pageant held in El Salvador.
Po ...
won the title for
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
, thus making her the second Finnish woman to win the Miss Universe crown after
Armi Kuusela, who was the first Miss Universe winner, in 1952. After Spain's
Amparo Muñoz
Amparo Muñoz Quesada ( Vélez-Málaga, 21 June 1954 – Málaga, 27 February 2011) was a Spanish actress, model and beauty queen who won the Miss Universe 1974 competition in Manila, Philippines, being the first and only Spaniard titleholder ...
resigned the previous year, her successor was crowned by
Miss Universe 1972,
Kerry Anne Wells of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
.
The political backdrop to the 1975 Miss Universe pageant was not a happy one, however. According to the New York Times, August 5, "while a worldwide television audience saw El Salvador’s sunny beaches before the “Miss Universe” finals July 19, off-camera heavily armed troops were called out to halt demonstrations by students protesting the Government's expenditure of $1-million on the contest". Protests took place in Santa Ana and San Salvador. Again, from the NY Times: "According to the military Government, which contended that the march was part of a “Communist plot”, one person was killed, five wounded, and 11 arrested. But according to the students, at least 12 persons were killed, 20 wounded, and 40 arrested".
This year also marked the first time in the history that all five
American territories
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
had been competing together in the Miss Universe pageant along with Miss USA. However,
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...
competed as the geographical region of
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, ...
instead of the individual territory itself, but just then, the territory began competing as
Miss Northern Marianas a year later.
Results
Placements
Contestants
Notes
Debuts
*
*
*
*
Returns
Last competed in
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 (K ...
:
*
Last competed in
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...
:
*
Last competed in
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* J ...
:
*
*
Last competed in
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...
:
*
*
Last competed in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
:
*
Withdrawals
*
*
*
*
*
Did not compete
* — Dorothy Lamore McKoy
* — Eloise Jubienne
* — Sissel Gulbrandsen
*
Swaziland
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its n ...
— Vinah Thembi Mamba
Replacements
* — Sirikwan Nantasiri, Miss Thailand Universe 1975 (not to be confused with
Miss Universe Thailand
Miss Universe Thailand (formerly known as Miss Thailand Universe) is a beauty pageant that has been held annually since 2000 to select Thailand's representative to the Miss Universe pageant. The competition is a continuation of the Miss Thailand ...
), refused to compete in order to achieve acting career. The pageant authorities decided to send Wanlaya Thonawanik, her 3rd runner-up to compete instead.
Awards
* — Miss Amity (Christine Mary Jackson)
* — Miss Photogenic (Martha Echeverry)
* — Miss Photogenic (
Summer Bartholomew
Robin Summer Bartholomew (born in Merced, California) is an American actress, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 1975 pageant.
Her first pageant experience came in 1973 when she won the Miss Heineken tit ...
)
* — Best National Costume (Emy Elivia Abascal)
General References
*
References
{{San Salvador
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
1975 beauty pageants
1975 in El Salvador
Beauty pageants in El Salvador
July 1975 events in North America