20 Miss Universe contestants who made history during the 2024 pageant
Anneta Konstantinides
- Multiple contestants made history at the 73rd Miss Universe competition on Saturday.
- Countries such as North Macedonia and the Maldives made their competition debut.
Miss Universe came back bigger than ever.
This year, 125 women competed for the iconic crown — 41 more contestants than in 2023.
Some countries, like Cuba and Samoa, returned to the Miss Universe stage after a long hiatus, while others made their grand debut.
The 2024 competition also featured the oldest-ever Miss Universe contestant and the first contestant to wear a hijab in the pageant.
Here's a look at all the women who made history on this year's stage.
Victoria Kjær Theilvig is the first Miss Denmark to win Miss Universe.
During the pageant, the Miss Universe announcers said that Theilvig was the first Miss Denmark to place in the top five since 1963 — and she went on to become the first from her country to win the crown.
The 21-year-old pageant queen is a dancer who aspires to become a lawyer. She is also an advocate for mental health and animal rights.
Ruby Pouchet was the first Miss Bonaire to compete at Miss Universe in 25 years.
Pouchet, a 29-year-old communications specialist and government official, didn't place in the top 30.
Marianela Ancheta brought Miss Cuba back to the Miss Universe stage for the first time since 1967.
Ancheta made it to the top 30 on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old is a model and businesswoman. She is also an advocate for mental-health support.
Miss Egypt Logina Salah was the first woman with vitiligo to compete in the pageant.
Salah made it to the top 30 during the Miss Universe finals.
The 34-year-old is a mother, model, makeup artist, and TV presenter. She is using her current platform to destigmatize vitiligo, a condition that results in the loss of pigment in the skin.
Saran Bah was the first Miss Guinea to compete at Miss Universe.
Bah, 29, is a master's student pursuing her degree in business administration. She also works for a government nonprofit.
Miss Gibraltar Shyanne Mcintosh was the shortest contestant in the pageant's history.
Before Mcintosh won the title of Miss Gibraltar, she told the judges, "I may be small, but I stand tall," Gibraltar Chronicle reported. According to her Instagram, she is around 5-foot-1.
The 25-year-old accountant was also the first Miss Gibraltar to walk across the Miss Universe stage in 34 years.
Macau was represented in the Miss Universe pageant for the first time, thanks to Cassandra Chiu.
Chiu placed in the top 30 on Saturday night. The 23-year-old is a dancer, model, and digital creator.
At 40, Miss Malta Beatrice Njoya was the oldest woman to compete in the pageant.
Njoya is a single mother of three.
She's also a survivor of domestic and sexual abuse and now works with local NGOs to "advocate against all forms of violence against women," according to her Miss Universe bio.
Mariyam Saina Naseem was the first Miss Maldives to compete at Miss Universe.
Naseem's Miss Universe appearance stirred controversy in her home country.
The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts in the Maldives said the pageant "fundamentally conflicts with the Islamic beliefs, cultural values, and traditions upheld by the Maldivian people," according to Ceylon Today.
Miss Somalia Khadija Omar was the first woman to wear a hijab on the Miss Universe stage.
Omar, 23, was also the first woman to represent Somalia at the Miss Universe competition. In 2021, she became the first pageant queen to wear a hijab at Miss World.
Djulieta Calalb is the first-ever Miss Moldova to compete at Miss Universe.
The 20-year-old organizes fashion events in Moldova and Romania. She is also an advocate for sports development.
Davin Prasath became the first Miss Cambodia to place at Miss Universe since her country's debut in 2017.
Prasath made it to the top 30 in the competition. The 33-year-old spends much of her time volunteering and providing community service.
Rumina Ivezaj was the first woman from Montenegro to compete in the pageant.
The 19-year-old is an environmental conservation advocate.
Chelsea Manalo was the first Filipino of African descent to represent the Philippines on the Miss Universe stage.
The 25-year-old began modeling at the age of 14. She has a degree in tourism management and previously competed at Miss World Philippines 2017, where she reached the top 15.
Tea Gjorgievska represented North Macedonia for the country's Miss Universe debut.
According to her Miss Universe bio, the 21-year-old's mission is "to inspire a world where every person feels valued and has a voice."
Alma Cooper was the first Afro-Latina woman to represent the USA at Miss Universe.
Alma Cooper, 22, is an Army officer and West Point graduate, where she was in the top 5% of her class. She is now a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, pursuing a master's degree in data science.
Ava Vahneshan was the first Miss Persia to walk the Miss Universe stage.
The 26-year-old is a singer, model, and Chinese medicine specialist.
Chidimma Adetshina was the first Miss Nigeria to place in the top five at the pageant.
It wasn't an easy journey for Adetshina to reach the Miss Universe stage. She was originally competing for Miss South Africa 2024 but decided to withdraw from the pageant following social-media attacks regarding her nationality. The Miss Nigeria competition then invited her to compete.
The 23-year-old is a law student and athlete who champions "diversity, equity, and inclusion" as part of her Miss Universe platform, according to her bio for the pageant.
Emilia Dobreva was the first Miss United Arab Emirates to compete at Miss Universe.
The 27-year-old is a mother of three and a successful model. She has walked the runway at New York Fashion Week and appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Vietnam, according to Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
Uzbekistan made its first Miss Universe appearance, with Nigina Fakhriddinova representing the country.
Fakhriddinova, 25, is a model.
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