A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
The winners of the International Pageant of Pulchritude 1930 competition
Georgiana Seymour, Duchess of Somerset was crowned the 'Queen of Beauty' at the Eglinton Tournament of 1839.
Woman receiving an award for winning a beauty pageant, 1922
Celebration of the "Princess Dácil" contest at the Seventh Festival of Canarian Traditions in Cuba. In the center of the image, Mary Ann Álvarez Robbio, who was the winner of the contest in 2010.
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss Universe sash from 2001 until 2021
Armi Kuusela, the first titleholder, meets people in Helsinki, Finland.
The Romanov Diadem Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1953, Christiane Martel
The Star of the Universe Crown, as worn by Miss Universe 1957, Gladys Zender