History of Miss Universe Pageant Include Memorable Moments, Scandal

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas is the location for this years Miss Universe Pageant to air August 23 on NBC and Telemundo at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Rocker Bret Michaels and Today Show correspondent Natalie Morales will host this years pageant.

According to a press release from the Miss Universe Organization, six-time Grammy Award winner John Legend and The Roots will be performing live during the evening gown portion of the show. Australian singer-songwriter Orianthi will perform her hit song, 'According to You', during the swimsuit competition.

With all the talent hanging around, this years Miss Universe Pageant should be a big hit, particularly since Bret Michaels is co-hosting and will likely bring with him a large portion of his fan base tuning in if only to see him. The musicians the Miss Universe Organization has brought on to perform are phenomenal and a pleasure to listen to. It's going to be a really enjoyable evening.

History of the Miss Universe Pageant:

Miss America 1951, Yoland Bethezi, refused to pose for Catalina Swimwear, a major sponsor of the pageant. Pacific Mills pulled out of the Miss America Pageant and set up the Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants.

The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in 1952 in California. Subsequent pageants were held in various U.S. locations and beginning in 1971, they were held in locations all over the world. The Miss Universe Pageant draws in millions of viewers worldwide.

In 1996, Donald Trump acquired the organization, jointly owned by NBC. CBS originally aired the pageant and in 2003, NBC took television rights to broadcast the event.

Memorable Miss Universe Moments:

The Miss Universe Pageant isn't without its moments. In 1982, contestant Maris Stella Villalba of Paraguay was running to take her place on stage during opening ceremonies in Lima. She slipped and fell, banging up her knee. If that wasn't bad enough, she was en route to the hospital in an ambulance when it crashed into a police car. The ambulance driver and Villalba's chaperone were both injured but she escaped further injury.

In 2009, Heidi Montag performed live during the Miss Universe Pageant, or did she? Many believe she was lip-synching to her song, 'Body Language', although soon-to-be ex-husband Spencer Pratt was adamant the entire show was live.

Miss Universe Scandals:

The scandals surrounding these raving beauties are unfortunate but they do happen. For all the good they may do in the world, sometimes you end up with a beauty queen who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. In many cases, they are caught smack dab in the middle of sex scandals or nudie pictures they'd rather forget are made public. That has got to be embarrassing!

According to Telemundo, the day after Venezuelan beauty Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe 2008, nude photos of her surfaced. However, she was allowed to keep her crown because the images were deemed non-pornographic.

Dominican Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003, made headlines around the world for her affairs with famous men the likes of Pablo Montero.

Cecilia Bolocco, a Chilean beauty crowned Miss Universe in 1987, made headlines when topless photos of her surfaced.

The 2010 Miss Universe Pageant hasn't even aired yet and we're already looking at some controversy. According to Yahoo! TV, there is some controversy over contestant photos in which they are wearing nothing but body paint to promote the event. Pageant officials say the photo shoot was arranged to celebrate the diversity of the contestants. VP of marketing and public relations for the pageant, Lark-Marie Anton, says, "Many of their cultures embrace nudity."

Hey, whatever floats their boat.

Miss Universe Organization Causes:

According to the Miss Universe website, they are "committed to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and increasing awareness of breast and ovarian cancers. By forging relationships with organizations committed to research and education such as the Latino Commission on AIDS, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Gilda's Club, the women who champion these causes during their reign are armed to impact women today."

Sources:
Pageant Viewer
Miss Universe : News, Miss Universe Organization
Beauty Pageant Scandals | photo gallery | Miss Universo 2010 | Telemundo
Miss Universe Body Paint Photos Stir Controversy - Yahoo! TV Blog
Miss Universe : Information, Miss Universe Organization