New Millennium! The Mediterranean island of Cyprus hosts the Millennium contest, and island’s worldwide image gets an important boost. Cyprus is a country that is tied closely to beauty: It is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty. The entire country is a little smaller than Connecticut.
2.June 29, 2000, Puerto Rico wins MU vote! The next edition of the event will be held in the American territory.
3.Chilean-born Cristian de la Fuente, Latin America’s handsomest-ever TV star, is elected as one of the judges on Cyprus’ capital city.
4.Japan’s Revolution of Beauty! Frenchwoman Ines Ligron resuscitates Miss Japan, which had its golden age in the first half of the 1970s. She imposed strict preparation regimes during the pageant. She expects the Japanese venture to succeeed in about five years.
5.India gets new MU! Lara Dutta wins the world contest, a title which catapulted her from obscurity to international stardom. She left India for Nicosia amid a flurry of hype and expectations, and hailed as the next MU. Of course, the Asian country fulfilled a dream nurtured for years (since 1994) by winning the award. This success puts India on a par with Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the States. Dutta (the only representative of Asia in the semis) was born in Ghaziabad, India in 1978. After her reign, she plans to receive her Master’s degree in journalism at Columbia in New York City. During her free time, she enjoys outdoor sports.
6.Cyprus has a difficult go-around in the universal event.Surprisingly the local delegate does not enter into the semifinals at Nicosia. Cyprus made its international debut in the first half of the 1970s.
7.Spotlight: Miss France 2000. Sonia Rolland, a young with strong family connections on Rwanda (black Africa), puts France in the Top Ten on Cyprus’ capital city. She reflects the multiethnic nature of France. She is the country’s first French delegate of African ancestry. Without a doubt, Miss Roland, who stands 1,79m tall, owns one of the most interesting biographies in Miss Universe history. Seven years ago, she and her family fled from Rwanda during the genocide, where over 1 million people were killed. This war was a terrible experience for Sonia and her family. She was born in the landlocked Rwanda, a country in the Great Lakes (Eastern Africa). She was crowned Miss France while working as a professional model. Born-Rwandan Rolland currently is an actress.
8.Dominican-born Magaly Febles tries to turn Puerto Rican beauties into world-beaters. The results were soon evident.
9.The Baltic country of Estonia, ex Soviet republic during Cold War, qualifies for the second round with Evelyn Mikomagi.
10.The exotic young Corrine Crewe is called among the top 10, becoming the first woman from Zimbabwe -former Rhodesia until 1980-in history to accomplish that feat. She is hailed as the “most Zimbabwean woman” in the 20th century, followed by Shirley Nyaryiwa, Julieth Nyathi (Miss Africa 1981), Caroline Murinda (Miss Africa 1982), and Angeline Musasiwa.