Miami Beach is named site of the international pageant, putting Florida -Sunshine State– on the world stage.
2.Now in its 15th year, the contest is the first to be televised in color by CBS.
3.A fascinating island makes its worldwide debut: Guam, where America’s Day begins.
4.Scandinavia gets new MU! Sweden has developed an international reputation for their extraordinary beauties. Under the leadership of Margaret Arvidsson, the Scandinavian country earns the event in Florida, ahead of Finland’s Satu Charlotta Ostring. Miss Sweden had captured all judges in Miami Beach.
5.Five countries of the developing world competing for the second round. These countries are the following: Colombia, India, Philippines, Peru, and the Kingdom of Thailand.
6.Miss Finland ,Satu Charlotta Ostring, was widely touted as the long-waited successor to Armi Kuusela (who captured the trophy in the early 1950s) in her homeland country. Nonetheless, she finished second.
7.Hungarian-born American beauty queen Maria Reminyi (former Miss California) is one of 15 semi-finalists but does not qualify for the following round. Miss Reminyi becomes the second naturalized citizen to represent America in Miss Universe, after Miss USA 1963 Marite Ozers.
8.Former titleholder Armi Kuusela-Hilario is among the international judges, along with other celebrities.
9.Thailand stages spectacular success! : Thailand continues to celebrate Apassara Hongsakula’s worldwide trophy and Miss Jeeranun Savettanun is second runner-up, preceded only by two beauties from the zone Nordic. She is so far the most beautiful delegate of Asia at Miami Beach’66. The Kingdom of Thailand, former Siam, arrived at MU as a defending champion.
8.Singapore competes independently for the first time with Margaret van Meel. On August 9, 1965, the Asian nation gained its independence from Malaysia.
9.Like Guam, the new South American Republic of Guyana -ex British colony– sends its first national contestant to Miss Universe, but Miss Guyana Universe 1966 Umblita Van Sluytman is disqualified in the first round by judges. Subsequently, in November, the exotic young became one of 15 semi-finalists in London, United Kingdom, beginning a new era for Guyana’s exotic beauties. Like British Guiana, the country competed for the first time in the mid-1950s and again from 1963 to 1965,but it was not qualified for the semifinals.
10.Miss Cristina Landwier will be the first woman to represent the island of Bonaire – a Dutch dependency on the Caribbean- in Miss Universe.
11.For the first time since July 1963, Norway makes the cut in the international pageant with Siri Gro Nilsen.
12.Miss India, Yasmin Daji, ranks fourth among 58 entries, earned her the admiration of fans in her homeland country. India subsequently entered a period of decline until the early 1990s.