Long Beach, California USA

1952 Armi Kuusela FINLAND

1st runner-up     Elza Kananionapua   HAWAII 2nd runner-up     Daisy Mavrali   GREECE 3rd runner-up     Judy Dan   HONG KONG 4th runner-up     Renate Roy   GERMANY SEMI FINALISTS: Olga Llorens Perez Castillo   MEXICO Catherine Edwina Higgins   SOUTH AFRICA Anne Marie Tistler   SWEDEN Gladys Rubio   URUGUAY Jackie Loughery   USA

Armi Kuusela being crowned by actress Piper Laurie as Miss Universe 1952

Twenty-nine contestants participated in the first Miss Universe pageant in 1952 held in Long Beach, California..  Though only 18 years old, Armi still captured the Universe..  The pageant, even at its onset was not without controversy as many accused favoritism as the 1952 Olympic Games were held in Helsinki, Finland that same year.  A year after her reign, Armi married Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario and brought up a family of 5 children.  She remarried upon Hilario's death in 1977 and has moved to La Jolla, California.  She is still active in her community as she involves herself in Cancer research.

Armi Kuusela poses for an official photograph moments after winning Miss Universe 1952

The delegates for Miss Universe 1952

HOME