Long Beach (CA) to host thirty-six top beauties from thirty-six countries and territories for MU pageant. In California, three debutants make history: Colombia (winner), Poland (fourth runner-up) and Dutch Guiana (semi-finalist).
2.South America remains as one of the top contenders and wins the trophy. The South Americans does not have to wait long for the continent’s representative to get their second award: Luz Marina Zuluaga -the number-second beauty queen at Miss Colombia 1958 prior to Doris Gil’s renounce– is crowned MU by outgoing Gladys Zender of Lima, Peru. Weeks later, she embarked on a tour of Latin America. During her reign, she, a dark-eyed woman, had received an inordinate amount of international attention for that feat, including the coveted cover of Life magazine. Black-haired Zuluaga –one of the shortest candidates at Long Beach- was born to an impoverished couple in October 1931 in Pereira, Colombia.
3.The Colombian government extend its congratulations to Miss Colombia Universe, Luz Marina Zuluaga, after her win at Long Beach. She receives a hero’s welcome on her return.
4.It is Colombia’s first participation in the international competition.
5.Following a list of three winners from Latin America between 1955 and 1957, Miss Japan wins Miss Congeniality.
6.The major development in the pageant is the progress of the Latino delegations: The second all-Latin American MU final! Miss Brazil –the odds-on favorite to win the contest– is first runner-up (upon losing to Miss Zuluaga), which matches its previous best finish in the competition. It is a history-making day for Latin America. Aside from that, there are other semis from that region: Chile, Peru, and Suriname.
7.Fair-haired Alicja Brobonska of Poland becomes the first delegate from a country from Bloc Soviet to compete in the finals (and the first woman to be elected beauty queen in Communist East Europe). Miss Poland’s amazingly successful debut was a surprise to the world. Years later, the beauty pageants were banned by the Communist rule.
8.Hawaii-born Geri Hoo survives MU’s preliminary competition to become one of the three most beautiful women of the world.
9.There are surprises at Long Beach: Dutch Guiana (Suriname since the mid-1970s) makes the top 15 (and remains the only), becoming one of the first places from South America to compete in the second round in history.