Miss Universe
When Kuusela won her country's national pageant, Suomen Neito, on May 24, 1952, she was awarded a box of chocolates, a gold bangle, and a two-way ticket sponsored by Pan American Airways to the United States. On June 17, Kuusela took a flight to Long Beach, California and the first Miss Universe contest.
Thirty contestants participated in the first Miss Universe pageant in 1952. The pageant was held on June 29, 1952, and Kuusela, as Suomen Neito, captured the crown. At her crowning she was only 17 years old. At the time she weighed 49 kg (108 lb), and her height was 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in).
Immediately after her winning there was a Finnish movie made of her, called Maailman kaunein tyttö (World's most beautiful girl) where she played herself, and Tauno Palo acted Jack Coleman (opposite role). It was directed by Veikko Itkonen, with writing credits going to Mika Waltari.
Read more about this topic: Armi Kuusela
Famous quotes containing the word universe:
“All the universe over, there is but one thing, this old Two- Face, creator-creature, mind-matter, right-wrong, of which any proposition may be affirmed or denied.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Is that dance slowing in the mind of man
That made him think the universe could hum?”
—Theodore Roethke (1908–1963)