Sixty-one nations and dependencies, from Guam ( an American territory) and Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia) to Luxembourg and Suriname ( a Dutch-speaking country in South America), participate in the pageant, down from 65 at Miami Beach’68.
2. Argentina’s last Miss Universe Norma Nolan is among the judges.
3. The defending champion Brazil makes the cut with their national delegate Vera Lucia Fischer . Back in Brazil, Miss Fisher became one of the most important actresses in Latin America, starring alongside Giovanna Antonelli, Jose Mayer, Tony Ramos, and Murilo Benicio.
4. Long-haired Gloria Diaz from the Philippines receives the crown by outgoing Martha Vasconcellos, sparking off celebrations in Manila, the nation’s capital, as well as heralding a new future for the Philippines. The Asian country had already 18 times without ever succeeding. But the travel to Florida turned into the greatest day for the Philippines. Miss Diaz won the tournament with a win over top-ranked Miss Finland Harriet Marita Eriksson. Because of this, the Asian country had transformed itself from a perennial also-ran into one of the world’s top leaders.
5. Miss Diaz wasn’t regarded as a frontrunner in Florida. Later on, she,a dark-eyed woman, is declared national hero after her return to Manila.
6. Oceania is looking for its first title. Miss Australia, Joanne Barret, is second runner-up. Barret’s perfomance was only a prelude to feat that would be accomplished by her countrywoman Kerry Anne Wells three years later in San Juan de Puerto Rico.
7. The European nation of Finland, a long-standing competitor, sets an international record in this year! For the eighth time in a row, between 1962 and 1969, the entries from Finland, spearheaded by Satu Charlotta Ostring and Anja Aulikki Jarvinen, are not eliminated in the preliminary competition by international judges (none of them were Finnish!).
8. Few months after competing in Miami Beach, one of the semi-finalists of MU, Eva Rueber-Staier of Austria, is named Miss World in Britain.
9. Miss Japan survives MU’s preliminary competition to become one of the five most beautiful queens of the world.
10. Following a long list of winners from Europe, New Zealand’s representative gains the trophy of Miss Photogenic Universe 1969; its first ever championship title.
11. United States’ delegate Wendy Jane Dascomb makes the semi-finals but does not qualify for the next round despite being one of the pre-pageant favorites.