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PICS: This is what the very first Miss Universe pageant looked like 67 years ago!

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Miss Universe 1952 winner alongside the rest of the top 5 (Photo: Getty Images)
Miss Universe 1952 winner alongside the rest of the top 5 (Photo: Getty Images)

Johannesburg – Can you believe it's already been 67 years since the very first Miss Universe pageant? 

Well, it has, and so much has changed in the pageant industry since then.  

The Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 and held in Longbeach, California.  

The very first winner of the Miss Universe crown was Armi Kuusela from Finland who was just 17 years old at the time.  

As the Miss Universe organisation gets ready to crown another winner in 2019, we take a look at the first pageant and how different it looked back then.  

This was the official bathing suit worn by all contestants in the 1952 Miss Universe pageant. 

Just like today, the bathing suit portion of Miss Universe was a big part of the competition.

The difference is, back then, with a more conservative society, all contestants were made to wear the same style suit. And as you could probably guess, there were no belly buttons in sight. 

Nine of the Miss Universe 1952 contestants who were honoured at a cocktail party/dinner. 

The top 5 Miss Universe contestants including the winner Armi Kuusela. 

Note, Armi's sash reads: "Miss Universe 1953". That's because up until 1958, the winner of pageant wore a sash dated for the following year.  

WATCH: Relive the crowning of the first Miss Universe  

Though the announcer in the video says that Armi was 18, she had only turned 18 two months after winning the title.

Not only was the young beauty queen the first Miss Universe ever, she was also the first Miss Universe to give up her title shortly before her reign had ended in order to get married. 

Up until today, contestants entering the Miss Universe pageant cannot be married or pregnant at the time of the entering the competition or at any point throughout their reign. 


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