Miss Universe 1961
| Miss Universe 1961 | |
|---|---|
Marlene Schmidt | |
| Date | 15 July 1961 |
| Presenters | Johnny Carson |
| Venue | Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States |
| Broadcaster | |
| Entrants | 48 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Debuts |
|
| Withdrawals |
|
| Returns |
|
| Winner | Marlene Schmidt West Germany |
| Congeniality | Eleftheria Deloutsi (Greece) |
| Photogenic | Sharon Brown (United States) |
Miss Universe 1961 was the 10th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, the United States, on 15 July 1961.
At the conclusion of the event, Linda Bement of the United States crowned Marlene Schmidt of the West Germany as Miss Universe 1961. Schmidt was the first representative of the West Germany to win the contest.[1]
Contestants from forty-eight countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Johnny Carson.
Background
Selection of participants
Contestants from forty-eight countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Two candidates were appointed to replace the original winner.
Replacements
Both, Ana Griselda Vegas of Venezuela and Pilar Ramos of Spain replaced Gloria Lilue and María del Carmen Cervera, respectively, as the latter chose to compete at Miss International 1961.[2][3]
Debuts, returns, and withdrawals
This edition saw the debuts of Ireland, Jamaica, Madagascar, the Republic of China, Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Scotland, the United States Virgin Islands, and Wales, and the returns of Ceylon, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Turkey.[4] Ceylon and Puerto Rico last competed in 1957, while the others last competed in 1959. Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Jordan, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname, and Tunisia withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.
Helen Tan of Malaya and Julie Koh of Singapore were supposed to compete in the pageant. However, they chose to compete at Miss International in Long Beach, California instead.[5][6] Koh eventually competed at Miss Universe the following year.[7]
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1961 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 15[9] |
|
Special awards
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Miss Photogenic |
|
Pageant
Format
Same with 1955, fifteen semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition.[9] Each of the fifteen semi-finalists gave a short speech during the final telecast using their native languages. Afterwards, the fifteen semi-finalists paraded again in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were eventually chosen.[8]
Selection committee
- Peter Demaerel – Director of the Belgian-American Tourist Office in the United States
- Gustavo Lorca Rojas – Former mayor of Viña del Mar
- Raul Manteola – Argentinian painter
- Russell Patterson – American cartoonist
- Michel Tapié – French painter
- Earl Wilson – American journalist and columnist[10]
- Miyoko Yanagita – Japanese fashion designer
Contestants
Forty-eight contestants competed for the title.
| Country/Territory | Contestant | Age[a] | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Adriana Gardiazábal[11] | 18 | Buenos Aires |
| Austria | Ingrid Bayer[12] | 20 | Vorarlberg |
| Belgium | Nicole Ksinozenicki[13] | 18 | Saint-Gilles |
| Bolivia | Gloria Soruco[14] | 19 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
| Brazil | Staël Abelha[15] | 19 | Caratinga |
| Burma | Khin Myint Myint[16] | 18 | Daik-U |
| Canada | Wilda Reynolds[17] | 19 | Toronto |
| Ceylon | Ranjini Jayatilleke[18] | 19 | Colombo |
| Chile | Gloria Silva[19] | 22 | Santiago |
| Colombia | Patricia Whitman[20] | 21 | Medellín |
| Cuba | Martha García Vieta[21] | 25 | Miami |
| Denmark | Jette Nielsen[22] | 18 | Copenhagen |
| Ecuador | Yolanda Palacios[23] | 18 | Guayaquil |
| England | Arlette Dobson[24] | 18 | Surrey |
| Finland | Ritva Wächter[25] | 20 | Naantali |
| France | Simone Darot[26] | 19 | Paris |
| Greece | Eleftheria Deloutsi[27] | 18 | Athens |
| Guatemala | Anabelle Sáenz | 19 | Guatemala City |
| Holland | Gita Kamman[28] | 22 | Amsterdam |
| Iceland | Kristjana Magnúsdóttir[29] | 21 | Reykjanesbær |
| Ireland | Jean Russell | 21 | Lisburn |
| Israel | Atida Pisanti[30] | 19 | Haifa |
| Italy | Vivianne Romano[31] | 21 | Lazio |
| Jamaica | Marguerite LeWars[32] | 20 | Kingston |
| Japan | Akemi Toyama | 20 | Tokyo |
| Lebanon | Leila Antaki[18] | 22 | Beirut |
| Luxembourg | Vicky Schoos | 18 | Luxembourg City |
| Madagascar | Jacqueline Robertson | 22 | Antananarivo |
| Morocco | Irene Gorsse | – | Rabat |
| Norway | Rigmor Trengereid | 19 | Bergen |
| Paraguay | María Cristina Osnaghi | 18 | Asunción |
| Peru | Carmela Stein | 20 | Lima |
| Puerto Rico | Enid del Valle[33] | 20 | Aguadilla |
| Republic of China | Li-Ling Wang[34] | 19 | Taipei |
| Rhodesia and Nyasaland | Jonee Sierra[35] | 19 | Salisbury |
| Scotland | Susan Jones[36] | 20 | Aberdeen |
| South Africa | Marina Christelis | 20 | Johannesburg |
| South Korea | Yang-hee Seo | 21 | Seoul |
| Spain | Pilar Ramos | 19 | Madrid |
| Sweden | Gunilla Knutsson[37] | 20 | Ystad |
| Switzerland | Liliane Burnier | 19 | Geneva |
| Turkey | Gülseren Uysal | 18 | Istanbul |
| United States | Sharon Brown[38] | 18 | Minden |
| United States Virgin Islands | Priscila Bonilla | 18 | Charlotte Amalie |
| Uruguay | Susanna Ferrari[19] | – | Montevideo |
| Venezuela | Ana Griselda Vegas | 20 | Caracas |
| Wales | Rosemarie Frankland[39] | 18 | Lancashire |
| West Germany | Marlene Schmidt[40] | 24 | Stuttgart |
Notes
- ^ Ages at the time of the pageant
References
- ^ "German engineer starting plush Miss Universe year". The Spokesman-Review. 17 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ De los Rios, Elena (21 June 2021). "Miss España a los 18, viuda a los 30, madre soltera a los 37 y baronesa Thyssen a los 42: así pasó Carmen Cervera de los concursos de belleza a convertirse en la mujer más poderosa (y rica) del arte en España" [Miss Spain at 18, widowed at 30, single mother at 37, and Baroness Thyssen at 42: this is how Carmen Cervera went from beauty pageants to becoming the most powerful (and richest) woman in the arts in Spain.]. Mujer Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "What's next? Caribbean crises worry contest". St. Petersburg Times. 10 July 1961. p. 17. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ ""Miss V.I." off to Miami Beach". The Virgin Islands Daily News. 7 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Beauties on way to US get warm welcome during stop in Manila". The Singapore Free Press. 4 July 1961. p. 7. Retrieved 11 November 2022 – via National Library Board.
- ^ "K.L. girl wins the Miss Malaya title". The Straits Times. 11 May 1961. p. 16. Retrieved 9 December 2022 – via National Library Board.
- ^ "Miss Singapore flies to California next month". The Straits Times. 20 May 1961. p. 9. Retrieved 11 November 2022 – via National Library Board.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Miss Germany wins contest". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 15 July 1961. pp. 1–2A. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ a b "15 girls reach final beauty test". Youngstown Vindicator. 15 July 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Wilson, Earl (13 July 1961). "It happened last night". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 34. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Loveliest girl in the world to become "Miss Universe"". Simpson's Leader-Times. 15 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 28 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Beauties at the White House". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 6 July 1961. p. 13. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ "In Knokke is Nicole Ksinozenicki uit Sint Gillis (Brussel) tot miss België uitgeroepen" [In Knokke, Nicole Ksinozenicki from Sint Gillis (Brussels) was proclaimed Miss Belgium.]. Leeuwarder courant (in Dutch). 25 May 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Delpher.
- ^ "El título les dio alegrías, trabajo y fama que aún saborean" [The title gave them joy, work and fame that they still savor.]. El Deber (in European Spanish). 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Stael Abelha, primeira mineira eleita Miss Brasil, é vítima de Alzheimer". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ Htwe, Nien Ei Ei (28 September 2009). "Former 'Miss Burma' winner passes away". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ "Former 'Miss Canada' weds army man here". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 11 July 1962. p. 12. Retrieved 9 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Universal beauty displayed at Miami". Herald-Journal. 13 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ a b "Latin beauties in native costume". Herald-Journal. 7 July 1961. p. 18. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "Sensación en Miami por Trajes Típicos de Srta. Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 11 July 1961. pp. 1, 21. Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "History of Cuba in Miss Universe: from its beginnings in 1927 to its return in 2024". CiberCuba (in Spanish). 27 September 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Untitled". Atuagagdliutit (in Kalaallisut). 29 June 1961. p. 28. Retrieved 6 December 2022 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ "Candidale ai massimi titoli di bellezza" [Nominee for top beauty titles]. La Stampa (in Italian). 1 July 1961. p. 5. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ "MISS UNIVERSE WINNERS". The Daily Republic. 17 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 19 March 2025 – via newspapers.
- ^ Himberg, Petra (18 November 2009). "Miss Suomi 1961 Ritva Wächter". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Lo, Ricky (1 February 2017). "France 1st grand slam winner in world beauty pageants". Philippine Star. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Downfall of Greece". Philadelphia Daily News. 15 July 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 19 February 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ene miss Holland is voor ons in Florida". Het Parool (in Dutch). 12 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 19 February 2024 – via Delpher.
- ^ "Íslensk fegurð '61". Fálkinn (in Icelandic). 14 June 1961. pp. 18–20. Retrieved 19 February 2024 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ "Untitled". The American Jewish World. 21 July 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 19 February 2024 – via National Library of Israel.
- ^ "Everybody in". The Windsor Star. 12 July 1961. p. 48. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ Johnson, Richard (1 November 2020). "He was a gentleman". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "Reinas de Puerto Rico" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "15 girls to compete in finals of Miss Universe pageant". The Bridgeport Post. 15 July 1961. p. 23. Retrieved 30 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Makombe, Leonard (28 November 2002). "Zimbabwe: Blanchfield Possessed Rare Qualities". The Herald. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via AllAfrica.
- ^ "The man who made Churchill beam". The Herald Scotland. 22 January 1994. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "Miss Universe judges go for European girls". The Akron Beacon Journal. 15 July 1961. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Louisiana lass is 'Miss U.S.A.'". The Tuscaloosa News. 14 July 1961. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 22 July 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Miss UK 1960". The Vancouver Sun. 22 September 1961. p. 16. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Beauties parade for title tonight". The Gadsden Times. 14 July 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 19 February 2024.