Miss Universe First Runner Up Curse??? A Historical Review

Here is the factual list of the Miss Universe First Runner Up Beauty Queens

and the placement of their successors the following year.

Year	First Runner Up	The following year	Placement of the Successor
1952	Hawaii: Elza Kananionapua Edsman	1953	Aileen Lauwae Stone - unplaced
1953	USA: Myrna Hansen	1954	Miriam Stevenson – Miss Universe  1954
1954	Brazil: Martha Rocha	1955	Emília Barreto Correia Lima – Top 15
1955	El Salvador: Maribel Arrieta Gálvez	1956	Withdrew
1956	Germany: Marina Orschel	1957	Gerti Daub – Fourth Runner Up
1957	Brazil: Teresinha Gonçalves Morango	1958	Adalgisa Colombo – First Runner Up
1958	Brazil: Adalgisa Colombo	1959	Vera Regina Ribeiro – Fourth Runner Up
1959	Norway: Jorunn Kristjansen	1960	Ragnhild Aass – Top 15
1960	Italy: Daniela Bianchi	1961	Vivianne Romano – unplaced
1961	Wales: Rosemarie Frankland	1962	Hazel Williams – unplaced
1962	Iceland: Anna Geirsdóttir	1963	Theodora Thordardottir - unplaced
1963	Denmark: Aino Korva	1964	Yvonne Mortensen - unplaced
1964	England: Brenda Blackler	1965	Jennifer Warren Gurley - unplaced
1965	Finland: Virpi Miettinen	1966	Satu Charlotta Östring – First Runner Up
1966	Finland: Satu Charlotta Östring	1967	Ritva Helena Lehto – Third Runner Up
1967	Venezuela: Mariela Pérez Branger	1968	Peggy Kopp – Third Runner Up
1968	Curacao: Anne Marie Braafheid	1969	Yvonne Wardekker - unplaced
1969	Finland: Harriet Marita Eriksson	1970	Ursula Rainio - unplaced
1970	USA: Deborah Shelton	1971	Michele McDonald – Top 12
1971	Australia: Toni Rayward	1972	Kerry Anne Wells – Miss Universe 1972
1972	Brazil: Rejane Vieira Costa	1973	Sandra Mara Ferreira – Top 12
1973	USA: Amanda Jones	1974	Karen Morrison – Top 12
1974	Wales: Helen Elizabeth Morgan	1975	Georgina Kerler - unplaced
1975	Haiti: Gerthie David	1976	No candidate
1976	Venezuela: Judith Castillo	1977	Cristal Montañez – top 12
1977	Austria: Eva Maria Düringer	1978	Doris Elizabeth Anwander - unplaced
1978	USA: Judi Andersen	1979	Mary Therese Friel – top 12
1979	Bermuda: Gina Swainson	1980	Jill Murphy - unplaced
1980	Scotland: Linda Gallagher	1981	Anne McFarlane - unplaced
1981	Canada: Dominique Dufour	1982	Karen Dianne Baldwin – Miss Universe 1982
1982	Guam: Patty Chong Kerkos	1983	Pamela Booth - unplaced
1983	USA: Julie Hayek	1984	Mai Shanley – top 10
1984	South Africa: Leticia Snyman	1985	No candidate
1985	Spain: Teresa Sánchez López	1986	Concepción  Espinosa - unplaced
1986	USA: Christy Fichtner	1987	Michelle Royer – second runner up
1987	Italy: Roberta Capua	1988	Simona Ventura - unplaced
1988	Korea: Chang Yoonjung	1989	Kim Sung-Ryung - unplaced
1989	Sweden: Louise Drevenstam	1990	Linda Isacsson - unplaced
1990	USA: Carole Gist	1991	Kelli McCarty – top 6
1991	Netherlands: Paulien Huizinga	1992	Vivian Jansen – top 6
1992	Colombia: Paola Turbay	1993	Paula Andrea Betancourt – First Runner Up
1993	Colombia: Paula Andrea Betancourt	1994	Carolina Gómez – First Runner Up
1994	Colombia: Carolina Gómez	1995	Tatiana Castro – Top 10
1995	India: Manpreet Brar	1996	Sandhya Chib – Top 10
1996	Aruba: Taryn Mansell	1997	Karen-Ann Peterson - unplaced
1997	Venezuela: Marena Bencomo	1998	Veruska Ramírez – First Runner Up
1998	Venezuela: Veruska Ramírez	1999	Carolina Indriago – Top 5
1999	Philippines: Miriam Quiambao	2000	Nina Ricci Alagao - unplaced
2000	Venezuela: Claudia Moreno	2001	Eva Ekvall – Third Runner Up
2001	Greece: Evelina Papantoniou	2002	Lena Paparigopoulou - unplaced
2002	Panama: Justine Pasek	2003	Stefanie de Roux – Top 15
2003	Venezuela: Mariángel Ruiz	2004	Ana Karina Áñez - unplaced
2004	USA: Shandi Finnessey	2005	Chelsea Cooley – top 10
2005	Puerto Rico: Cynthia Olavarría	2006	Zuleyka Rivera – Miss Universe 2006
2006	Japan: Kurara Chibana	2007	Riyo Mori – Miss Universe 2007
2007	Brazil: Natalia Guimaraes	2008	Natália Anderle - unplaced
2008	Colombia: Taliana Vargas	2009	Michelle Rouillard - unplaced
2009	Dominican Republic: Ada Aimeé de la Cruz	2010	Eva Arias - unplaced
2010	Jamaica: Yendi Phillips	2011	Shakira Martin - unplaced
2011	Ukraine: Olesya Stefanko	2012	Anastasia Chernova - unplaced
2012	Philippines: Janine Tugonon	2013	Ariella Arida – To be Announced!!!

Some observations:

1. Miss Hawaii 1953 Aileen Lauwae Stone started it all. She was not as lucky as the very first Miss Universe First Runner Up Elza Kananionapua Edsman, Miss Hawaii 1954.

2. In the history of Miss Universe totaling 61 editions (1952-2012), it so happened that 26 editions had successors of the First Runner Up were unplaced the following year. These are the following: 1953 (Miss Hawaii Aileen Lauwae Stone), 1961 (Miss Italy Vivianne Romano), 1962 (Miss Wales Hazel Williams),  1963 (Miss Iceland Theodora Thordardottir), 1964 (Miss Denmark Yvonne Mortensen), 1965 (Miss England Jennifer Warren Gurley), 1969 (Miss Curacao Yvonne Wardekker), 1970 (Miss Finland Ursula Rainio), 1975 (Miss Wales Georgina Kerler), 1978 (Miss Austria Doris Elizabeth Anwander), 1980 (Miss Bermuda Jill Murphy), 1981 (Miss Scotland Anne McFarlane), 1983 (Miss Guam Pamela Booth), 1986 (Miss Spain Concepción  Espinosa), 1988 (Miss Italy Simona Ventura), 1989 (Miss Korea Kim Sung-Ryung), 1990 (Miss Sweden Linda Isacsson), 1997 (Miss Aruba Karen-Ann Peterson), 2000 (Miss Philippines Nina Ricci Alagao), 2002 (Miss Greece Lena Paparigopoulou),  2004 (Miss Venezuela Ana Karina Áñez), 2008 (Miss Brazil Natália Anderle), 2009 (Miss Colombia Michelle Rouillard), 2010 (Miss Dominican Republic Eva Arias), 2011 (Miss Jamaica Shakira Martin),  and 2012 (Miss Ukraine Anastasia Chernova)

3. In these 61 editions (1952-2012), it already happened 5 times that the country who won First Runner Up became the winner the following year:

In 1953, USA was First Runner Up. In  1954 Miss USA Miriam Stevenson won.

In 1971, Australia  was First Runner Up. In  1972,  Miss Australia Kerry Anne Wells won.

In 1981, Canada was First Runner Up. In  1982,  Miss Canada Karen Dianne Baldwin won.

In 2005, Puerto Rico was First Runner Up. In  2006 Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera won.

In 2006, was First Runner Up. In  2007, Miss Japan Riyo Mori won.

4. Of the 61 editions, Miss USA had the highest number of First Runner Up = 8 (1953, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1990 and 2004); Venezuela is second with 6 First Runner Up (1967, 1976, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003).

5. A back to back First Runner Up win was made possible Brazil in 1957 (Teresinha Gonçalves Morango) and 1958 (Adalgisa Colombo); Finland in 1965 (Virpi Miettinen) and 1966 (Satu Charlotta Östring), and; Venezuela in 1997 (Marena Bencomo) and 1998 (Veruska Ramírez)

6. Colombia is the longest reigning First Runner Up. They won consequentively in 1992 (Paola Turbay), 1993 (Paula Andrea Betancourt) and 1994 (Carolina Gómez).

7. It already happened that there was a 5-year drought for those who won First Runner Up and were shut down the following year. It first happened from 1961 to 195. The drought was broken in 1966 when Finland won First Runner Up twice in a row.

8. This drought is also happening from  2008 to 2012. Miss Philippines Ariella Arida will embark on a herculean task to end this drought or to perpetuate it…

VERDICT: THERE IS NO REALLY SUCH THING AS “FIRST RUNNER UP CURSE.”