Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe pageant, took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Unlike past events, it was broadcast live on NBC on a Sunday, July 23, 2006, almost two months later than usual. The pageant was co-hosted by Nancy O'Dell and Carlos Ponce.
The 2006 pageant is the first time the United States has been a host since 1998, and the second time for Los Angeles, which last hosted the pageant in 1990. Kazakhstan was represented for the first time, while the following countries returned after some years of absence: St. Lucia (1977), Iceland (1997), St. Martin (2000), Northern Marianas (2002), Argentina (2003), New Zealand (2003), Estonia (2004), Ghana (2004), St. Vincent and Grenadines (2004), and Sweden (2004).
Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned her successor, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, at the conclusion of the two-hour show. Glebova's reign would be the second longest ever in Miss Universe history: one year and two months. Rivera's would be one of the shortest reigns of all, just 10 months.
Read more about Miss Universe 2006: Background Music, Contestants, Crossovers, Historical Significance, International Broadcasting
Famous quotes containing the word universe:
“Man is but a reed, the feeblest one in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him—a vapor, a drop of water suffices to kill him. But if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than that which killed him, because he knows that he dies and the advantage which the universe has over him; the universe knows nothing of this.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)