Miss Universe 1975

Background

Location and date

On 3 August 1971, the Miss Universe Organization and the Government Economic Development Administrator of Puerto Rico signed a contract to bring Miss Universe and Miss USA to San Juan from 1972 to 1976. However, the Puerto Rican government canceled the agreement in February 1973 because, according to Puerto Rican government officials, the agreement was allegedly illegal. On 31 December 1974, Miss Universe Inc. president Harold Glasser announced that the Miss Universe 1975 pageant would be held in San Salvador, El Salvador on 19 July 1975.

On the day of the competition, several groups of armed soldiers with submachine guns surrounded the competition site to stop student demonstrations protesting the El Salvadoran government's spending of $1 million on the competition. Hours before the competition, a bomb exploded in the center of San Salvador in protest against the Miss Universe pageant, injuring a civilian, and damaging the National Tourist Office of El Salvador, which organized the pageant.

A week after the competition, protests broke out in the cities of Santa Ana and San Salvador, resulting in the 1975 Salvadoran student massacre. According to the military government of El Salvador, one person was killed, five were injured, and eleven were imprisoned, while according to students who participated in the protests, approximately twelve people were killed, twenty were injured, and forty were imprisoned.

Selection of participants

Contestants from seventy-one countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Two candidates were selected to replace the original dethroned winner.

Replacements

Miss Spain 1974 first runner-up, Consuelo Martin, was appointed as the candidate of Spain after Miss Spain 1974, Natividad Rodriguez, relinquished her title after joining Miss World. Miss Thailand Universe 1975 third runner-up, Wanlaya Thonawanik, was appointed as the representative of Thailand after Miss Thailand Universe 1975, Sirikwan Nantasiri, chose to pursue her film career.

Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals

This edition saw the debuts of American Samoa, Belize, Mauritius, and Micronesia, and the returns of Guatemala which last competed in 1961; Morocco which last competed in 1966; Haiti and South Africa which last competed in 1968; Ecuador and Peru which last competed in 1972; and Denmark which last competed in 1973.

Mavis Slengard of Suriname withdrew because she was ill. Cyprus, Honduras, Portugal, and Senegal withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate. Eva Arni of Papua New Guinea withdrew after winning an international pageant. Arni competed in the following year.

Results

Placements

Special awards

Pageant

Format

Same with 1971, twelve semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. The twelve semi-finalists participated in the casual interview, swimsuit, and evening gown competitions. From twelve, five finalists were shortlisted to advance to the final interview.

Selection committee

• Maribel Arrieta – Miss El Salvador 1955, first runner-up at Miss Universe 1955
• Ernest Borgnine – American actor
• Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones – American-born Spanish aristocrat and socialite
• Kiyoshi Hara – President of the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation in Japan
• Jean Claude Killy – French alpine skier
• Peter Lawford – British actor
• Max Lerner – American journalist and educator
• Susan Strasberg – American actress and author
• Leon Uris – American author
• Sarah Vaughan – American jazz singer and pianist
• Luz Marina Zuluaga – Miss Universe 1958 from Colombia

Contestants

Seventy-one contestants competed for the title.

Notes

References

References

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7. (10 August 1975). "Unrest growing in El Salvador". [[The New York Times]].
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12. (20 July 1975). "Finnish model new Miss Universe". The Independent.
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14. (14 May 2021). "Which Country Has Won the Most National Costume Titles at Miss Universe?".
15. Loaiza, Norma. (15 July 1975). "El presidente Molina declaro a candidatas huespedes de honor". La Nacion.
16. Anderson, Nancy. (16 August 1975). "Scheider determined to be strong". The Desert Sun.
17. (16 July 1975). "Miss Universe jury in El Salvador". Amigoe di Curacao.
18. (22 July 1975). "Bias in beauty quest alleged". The Canberra Times.
19. Loaiza, Norma. (15 July 1975). "El presidente Molina declaro a candidatas huespedes de honor". La Nacion.
20. (17 July 1975). "Che!". El Tiempo.
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22. (2 October 1974). "In search of world titles". The Australian Women's Weekly.
23. Calderon, Beatriz. (25 September 2023). ""Me gustan los frijoles y las pupusas": esto dijo la finlandesa que ganó Miss Universo 1975 sobre El Salvador".
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28. (9 July 1975). "Candidatas a Miss Universo vistian escenario del actio". La Nacion.
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37. (14 July 1975). "Todas tienen algo en comun: quieren ser Miss Universo". La Nacion.
38. (20 July 1975). "Finnish Lass Miss Universe". The Press-Courier.
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40. Dematte, Delphine. (18 November 2021). "Metz. Savez-vous qui a été élue Miss France puis Miss International ?".
41. (13 July 1975). "72 bellezas participan en concurso Miss Universo". La Nacion.
42. Bacon, James. (23 July 1975). "Surrounded by beauty unnoticed". Youngstown Vindicator.
43. (1 February 2017). "Miss Univers : avant Raquel Pélissier, il y a eu Gerthie David".
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45. (30 June 1975). "Miss HK 1975". [[The Straits Times]].
46. (10 March 1975). "Sunna sendir konur til keppni". Vísir.
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48. Martinus, Alps. (1 March 2022). "Ingat Prisa Adinda? Anak Jendral, Dulu Terkenal Kolaborasi Dengan J-Rocks, Ini Kabarnya".
49. (18 July 1975). "Beauties to compete". The Greenville News.
50. (20 June 1975). "Israel's beauty queen for 1975". B'nai B'rith Messenger⁩⁩.
51. (19 July 2017). "Photo Flashback". The Gleaner.
52. (9 July 1975). "Poolside frolic by two beauties from the east...". [[The Straits Times]].
53. Dibba, Amie. (3 November 2016). "Koisey Hiama crowned Miss Liberia Minnesota".
54. (9 June 1975). "Alice is Miss Malaysia". [[The Straits Times]].
55. (14 July 1975). "El Salvador". La Nacion.
56. (21 July 1975). "Three faint at world beauty show". New Nation.
57. (14 July 1975). "Untitled". The Canberra Times.
58. (13 July 1975). "Medidas y dimensiones, un aspecto destacado del concurso Miss Universo". La Nacion.
59. (7 January 2015). "Estas son las panameñas que participaron de Miss Universo".
60. Coronel, Raul. (15 October 2021). "Te presentamos a todas nuestras representantes en Miss Universe".
61. Lo, Ricky. (13 October 2015). "How Chiqui caught Ali's heart".
62. Smith, Ken. (10 February 2017). "Herald Picture Archive: Marie crowned Miss Scotland and becomes a canned attraction".
63. (23 June 1975). "Sally bags the crown on her second try". [[The Straits Times]].
64. (5 July 1975). "Het is weer zover". Limburgsch dagblad.
65. (26 November 2018). "Fans Compile Evidence That Jin's Mom Was A Miss Korea—And Everything Makes Sense".
66. (12 July 1975). "Signing away". Marshfield News-Herald.
67. (19 July 1975). "Rigors of rehearsal for beauties". The Evening Sun.
68. (12 November 2013). "Sheilas Mami war Miss Schweiz".
69. (19 July 1975). "Beauty takes a bow". [[The Straits Times]].
70. (19 May 1975). "Miss California wins title of Miss USA for 1975". News-Press.
71. (23 July 1975). "Welcome home kiss". The Virgin Islands Daily News.
72. (11 July 1975). "El Salvador". La Nacion.