Historical Significance
- Venezuela won the Miss Universe crown after a 12 year drought.
- Countries who also made into the top 15 the previous year were Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Czech Republic and Japan.
- Mexico placed for the fifth consecutive year. Japan placed for the third straight year. Venezuela placed for the second consecutive year.
- Kosovo and Vietnam placed for the first time. This was also the first year that Kosovo competed.
- Colombia, Hungary and Russia last placed in 2006. Valerie Dominguez, Adrienne Bende, and Anna Litvinova were the last placers for these countries, respectively.
- Dominican Republic and South Africa last placed in 2005. Renata Soñe and Claudia Henkel were the last placers for these countries.
- Australia placed for the first time since 2004, when Jennifer Hawkins won the title.
- Spain last placed in 2001, the last being Eva Sisó Casals.
- Italy last placed in 1997, the last being Denny Méndez.
- El Salvador won Miss Congeniality for the second time.
- Thailand won its fourth Best National Costume Award, its first via internet voting.
- Venezuela won its fifth crown, now the second most successful country to compete in the pageant tied with Puerto Rico after USA.
- Russia scored its highest placement since Oxana Fedorova won in 2002 (later dethroned).
- Colombia reaches its highest position since 1994 (Carolina Gomez 1st runner-up)
- This is the 45th (out of a total of 57) editions that the host delegate made the semifinals.
- This is the first time since 2003 that the venue (Crown Convention Center) was specifically made for the pageant.
- A European, Mel B, co-hosted the pageant only for the second time this decade, the first being Naomi Campbell in 2001. Interestingly, both are Black British celebrities.
- For the first time since 2001, Europeans outnumbered those from the Americas in the semifinals.
- This is the first time no Miss Photogenic award was given since the inception of the award.
Read more about this topic: Miss Universe 2008
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