Most Beautiful Miss Universe: 41st place – Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones of Mexico

Representing the state of Baja California, Jones won the title of Señorita México (Miss Mexico) in September, 1990.

A few months later, on May 17, 1991 in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., she and 72 contestants competed for the title of Miss Universe 1991.

Lupita became the clear favorite of the judges, entering the semifinals of the pageant in first place, the only delegate with an average score above 9. During the final telecast, Jones breezed through the competition, winning everything: swimsuit, interview and evening gown. As the indisputable leader, she dominated with her articulate answers the next two rounds of competition (the Top 6 judges' questions and the Top 3 final question), winning it all, the crown, the prizes and the prestigious title for her country.

Jones had studied business administration before Miss Universe and also did post-graduate studies in industrial administration at the Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior in her native city of Mexicali, Baja California.

After finishing her reign in 1992, she founded a company named Promocertamen and, in 1994, created Nuestra Belleza México, the Official Mexican Pageant responsible for choosing Mexico's representatives to Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International.

In 1999, she decided that the contest would support an important program for ill-treated girls in the country through the Integral Family Development project. In 2000, Jones accepted an appointment as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador^[1] and Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson for Mexico.

Lupita Jones and longtime rival Osmel Sousa are now judges for Nuestra Belleza Latina, a beauty pageant created by Hispanic television network Univision that is for beautiful latinas that live in the United States.

After 13 years, she finally produced a winner at one of the 3 most well-known beauty pageants in the planet since 1960: Priscila Perales, Miss International 2007 and another one in 2009 with Anagabriela Espinoza, Miss International 2009. She had yet to produce a winner in the other two: Miss World and Miss Universe, even failing to place more than twice in each pageant during her first decade as director of her country's beauty organization.

Nonetheless, from 2004 to 2008, she sent several successful representatives to the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants, all placing consecutively as semifinalists or runners-up. Finally, in 2010, nineteen years after her Miss Universe win, a Mexican woman was crowned as Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete. She is yet to produce a winner in Miss World.

Now she's single and has one son with ex-husband Simón Charaf.

Most Beautiful Miss Universe: 42nd place – Miss Universe 1959 Akiko Kojima of Japan

Akiko was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo, Japan when she bested four other finalists from Norway, the USA, England, and Brazil for the 1959 Miss Universe crown in Long Beach, California. At 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), Akiko measured 37–23–38 inches (94–58–96 cm), which many believed as "incredible dimensions". She denied having undergone breast surgery. Akiko settled into a quiet married life after her reign. Forty eight years later another Japanese national, Riyo Mori, won the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.

She is also divorced from the famous Japanese actor Akira Takarada, who rose to fame in the Toho movie studios doing the Godzilla movies since 1954.

Most Beautiful Miss Universe: 43rd place – Miss Universe 1992 Michelle Mclean of Namibia

Before she became Miss Universe, McLean competed in Miss World 1991. In the preliminary competition, she was tied in second place with a score of 51 along with Miss South Africa, behind the eventual winner, Venezuela's Ninibeth Leal. McLean eventually finished in the top 5.

In the 1992 Miss Universe pageant, she finished second in the preliminary with a score of 9.147, right behind Carolina Izsak of Venezuela, who won all three preliminary competitions. Nonetheless, McLean's warmth and love for children helped clinch the crown over Izsak, Paola Turbay of Colombia and Madhushri Sapre of India.

In 1992, Michelle founded the Michelle McLean Children's Trust in Namibia which focuses on the education and care of underprivileged children.

Michelle was instrumental in bringing the Miss Universe pageant to her country in 1995. Michelle married her longtime boyfriend, Neil Bierbaum, but they divorced in 2006.

In 2009, Michelle co-hosted the Miss World pageant held in South Africa.

Most Beautiful Miss Universe: 44th place – Miss Universe 1988 Porntip Nakhirunkanok of Thailand

Porntip Bui Nakhirunkanok aka Porntip Bui Simon (born February 7, 1969 in Bangkok, Thailand; Thai: ภรณ์ทิพย์ นาคหิรัญกนก ไซม่อน (ปุ๋ย), pronounced [pʰōntʰíp nâːkhǐrāŋkànók sājmɔ̂ːn] ([pǔj])) is a Thai beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 1988. She became the second woman from Thailand to win the Miss Universe crown, the first being Apasra Hongsakula in 1965.

She participated in the 1988 Miss Thailand pageant held in Bangkok where she won and had the right to represent Thailand at the Miss Universe pageant.

At age of 19, Porntip Nakhirunkanok was crowned as Miss Universe 1988 by outgoing titleholder Cecilia Bolocco on May 24, 1988 in Taipei, Taiwan. She entered the semi-finals in fourth place, right behind USA, Dominican Republic, and Korea. She impressed the judges so much during the interview portion that she swept the competition, becoming the clear winner for the evening. She received the interview score of 9.730, swimsuit score of 9.684 and 9.752 for evening gown respectively.

The 1988 pageant is notable for the fact that four of the top 5 finalists all hailed from the Far East, with Porntip as the winner, Korea (Yunchung Chong) in second, Mexico (Amanda Olivares) in third, Japan (Mizuho Sakaguchi) in fourth, and Hong Kong (Pauline Yeung Bo Ling) in fifth. The rest of the top 10 were Patricia Jimenez from the Dominican Republic, Yajaira Vera-Roldán of Venezuela, Courtney Gibbs of USA, Diana Patricia Arévalo of Colombia, and Bente Brunland of Norway.

Most Beautiful Miss Universe: 45th place – Miss Universe 1970 Marisol Malaret of Puerto Rico

Marisol Malaret Contreras (born on October 13, 1949 in Utuado, Puerto Rico) was the very first Puerto Rican woman to be crowned Miss Universe.

She started to work from an early age due to the death of her father and chronic illness of her mother. She was reportedly persuaded by Puerto Rican make-up artist Carmen Andino to compete in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant, then owned by Puerto Rican modeling guru and businesswoman Anna Santisteban. Malaret's strong will, impeccable ethics and stunning beauty made her a crowd favorite in the local contest. Before winning, she worked as an executive secretary for a telephone company.

The auburn-haired, blue-green eyed Malaret won the title in the international competition held in Miami on July 11, 1970.

Due to her win in the Miss Universe pageant, she was honored with what was considered until then one of the biggest welcomings ever at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, then known as Isla Verde International Airport.

After completing her reign as Miss Universe, Malaret became and still remains a very popular public figure in Puerto Rico, becoming a TV show host, radio personality and magazine editor.