Before arriving to Miami Beach, the national delegates make a visit to Osaka (Japan) to attend the Expo’70, one of the major world’s fairs and expositions in the latter half of the 20 th century.
2. The first all-American MU final! Puerto Rico (winner) vs USA.
3. For the first time ever, the Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia participates in the competition’s 18-year history, advancing to the semifinals. On the other hand, Czechoslovakia is the third Marxist country to send an entrant to MU before dropping Soviet Empire (after Poland & Yugoslavia).
4. Under the name of Ceylon, the Asian country competes in the global contest in America. On May 22, 1972, it became Sri Lanka.
5. In the world of beauty there are many surprises. Marisol Malaret of Puerto Rico wins crown at MU! Certainly there are not small rivals. After surviving a tremendous semi-final battle against America’s Deborah “Debbie” Dale Shelton, Australia’s Joan Lydia Zealand, and Czechoslovakia’s Kristina Hanazalova -“the most beautiful Communist delegate” in Miami Beach , Marisol Malaret, a dark horse candidate from PR, becomes the first Caribbean woman to capture the prize. She helped transform the island from perennial losers to winners in the latter half of the 20 th century.
6. Upon Malaret’s win, PR becomes the smallest territory on Earth to produce a MU winner.
7. Miss USA, Deborah “Debbie” Dale Shelton, is hailed as a front-runner. Nonetheless, the results turned out contrary expectations. She was first runner-up, behind an obscure girl from PR. After losing to Marisol Malaret, she became a Tv show host.
8. The new Miss Universe is honored in San Juan de Puerto Rico on her return from the international pageant.
9. When Joan Lydia Zealand is third in Florida, Australia comes into their own as one of the world’s top leaders. Miss Australia is second runner-up for the second consecutive time. Two years on, the prestigious tournament was won by that country.
10. Though knocked out in the preliminaries, Miss Bolivia , Roxana Brown Trigo, returns to La Paz, the country’s official capital, with the Best National Costume Trophy.
11. World records! Margaret Hill’s Miss Photogenic title makes Bermuda – a British territory in the mid-Atlantic Ocean- the smallest country ever to win a special trophy in MU history. But there is another record: Miss Bermuda 1970 becomes the first black woman in the world to receive that award.