Miss International Pageant: Phenomenal Successes, Noteworthy Facts And Figures

As the Miss International 2013 pageant is fast approaching, we have compiled a list of the phenomenal victories, noteworthy and interesting facts and figures about the contest since its inception in 1960.

Milestones Of the Miss International 2013 Pageant

1960: Colombia became the first Latin and South American country to win the Miss International title.

1961: Netherlands became the first European country to win the Miss International title.

1964: Gemma Teresa Cruz of the Philippines became the first Asian to win the Miss International title.

1970: Aurora Pijuan of the Philippines won the title again and become the first country to win the Miss International title twice.

1975: Lidija Manić of Yugoslavia won the Miss International title. She was a Miss Universe delegate who didn't make it in the competition.

1976: Sophie Perin of France won the Miss International title and was a former Miss Universe and Miss World delegate who didn't win at both pageants.

1979: Melanie Marquez of the Philippines was the youngest to win Miss International in 1979 (15 years old at that time).

1992: Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico placed as semi-finalist in the contest and later won the Miss Universe title. She was one of the top 15 semi-finalists at Miss International.

1995: Anne Lena Hansen of Norway won the Miss International title but didn't place at Miss World.

2002: Christina Sawaya of Lebanon won the Miss International title but didn't place at Miss World.

2002: Christina Sawaya of Lebanon was the first Middle Eastern to win the Miss International title.

2004: Jeymmy Vargas of Colombia was the first black woman to win in the Miss International pageant.

Venezuela has won the maximum number of Miss International titles. Noteworthy fact is that four of those titles came consequently after a gap of three years in 1985, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006.

The same phenomenal success at the pageant, USA has achieved by grabbing the title in consistent gap of four years in 1974, 1978, and 1982.

The only Asian countries to have won the Miss International title are the Philippines, Lebanon and Japan.

No African country has yet won the Miss International pageant.

Miss International is only one of the Big Four international beauty pageants in the world with no winner resigned or dethroned.

2002: Miss Universe dethroned Oxana Fedorova.

1974: Miss World replaced Helen Morgan.

1980: Miss World replaced Gabriela Brum

Except for its 1991 winner, Agnieszka Kotlarska of Poland, all Miss International winners are still alive.

There are five Miss International winners up to this date who are placed as runners-up or semi-finalists in the Miss Universe contest prior to their win at Miss International:

1. Miss Universe 1960: Stella Márquez of Colombia was among top 15 semi-finalists

2. Miss Universe 1984: Ilma Urrutia of Guatemala was among top 10 semi-finalists

3. Miss Universe 1987: Laurie Simpson of Puerto Rico was fourth runner-up

4. Miss Universe 2006: Lía Victoria Borrero was among top 6 finalists at Miss Universe 1997

5. Miss Universe 2006: Priscila Perales was among top 10 finalists at Miss Universe 2006

Three Miss International winners placed as semi-finalists in the Miss World pageant prior to winning the Miss International title:

1. Miss World 1971: Brucene Smith of USA was among top 7 finalists

2. Miss World 2002: Goizeder Azua of Venezuela was among top op 10 finalists

3. Miss World 2008: Anagabriela Espinoza of Mexico was among top 15 semi-finalists

Two delegates placed as runners-up in the Miss International pageant and later won the Miss World crown:

1. Third runner-up at Miss International 1962 Catharina Johanna Lodders of Holland later won Miss World.

2. First runner-up at Miss International 1989 Aneta Kręglicka of Poland later won Miss World.

Longest span of a Miss International titleholder: In1966 Miss International pageant was canceled and subsequently the 1965 winner Ingrid Finger's reign was the longest among all the winners that lasted for 624 days.

Shortest span of a Miss International titleholder: In 1975 Lidija Vera Manic became the first woman from Yugoslavia to win a major international title after being crowned Miss International in Motobu but her reign lasted for just 242 days.

Colombia has the longest gap among Miss International wins: Stella Márquez won the title in 1960, and 39 years later in 1999 Paulina Gálvez became the second title holder of the country.

Mexico and Poland have the shortest gaps among Miss International wins: in 2007 Priscila Perales won the title and in 2009 Anagabriela Espinoza was crowned again. In 1991 Agnieszka Kotlarska of Poland has won the pageant and in 1993 Agnieszka Pachałko again won the title.

In 2012 Japan had more than four decades since they first hosted the pageant in 1968, ultimately got their first Miss International crown.

As soon as The Miss International 2012 Ikumi finished her speech during the final round of Miss International 2012, a shrill applause followed from the audience sitting in the Budokan Hall in Okinawa, Japan.

"What is a role model? Is someone who inspires good in all things. Someone who gives hope and helps encourage, and facilitates solutions. Someone who is active with endless love for humanity, and the energy to express that love. I believe that the success of winning a title is based on how many people you can inspire... how many communities you can help... how much change you can bring to the world. As a woman, we have endless potentials. We can be anything we want to be. We can accomplish anything we choose to accomplish... Be it in politics, business, science, and education. We are uniquely capable of leading the future, and in the eyes of our children we can all share the title of the most beautiful and important woman in the world," Ikumi Yoshimatsu said in her winning speech.

Keep reading on as more interesting facts and information about the prestigious Miss International 2013 pageant are coming up shortly.

Watch: Ikumi Yoshimatsu -Miss International FINAL SPEECH