Miss Universe 1999


Miss Universe 1999 was the 48th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, on 26 May 1999. Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana was crowned by Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago at the conclusion of the event. This edition marks the most recent time that a first-time entry of a country at Miss Universe has won and the third time in pageant's history, after Colombia in 1958 and Finland in 1952. This edition also saw a back-to-back victory by black women. 84 contestants competed in this year.

Background

Selection of participants

Contestants from eighty-four countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Five of these delegates were appointed to their titles after either being a runner-up of their national pageant, in an audition process or in an internal selection.

Replacements

Miss Barbados 1998, Michelle Selman did not compete for undisclosed reasons. Her first runner-up, Olivia Harding replaced her. The winner of Miss Great Britain Universe 1999, Nicki Lane, decided to give up the crown to her first runner-up Cherie Pisiani, after Lane confessed that she had a child at 14 years old. The winner of Binibining Pilipinas 1999, Janelle Delfin Bautista, had to resign due to citizenship issues, as she was an American citizen. The Binibining Pilipinas World 1999, Miriam Quiambao, assumed the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title.

Contestants

Eighty-four contestants competed for the title.
Country/TerritoryContestantAgeHometown
Angola

Withdrawals

During the contest:
  • - Miss Guam 1999, Tisha Elaine Heflin had to withdraw a few days before the preliminary competition, after being discovered that she was pregnant.