Miss Universe 1970 was the 19th edition of the Miss Universe pageant, held on 11 July 1970 at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, United States. The event was hosted by Bob Barker (in his fourth consecutive year as host) with commentary by actress June Lockhart, and was broadcast on CBS.
Winner
Marisol Malaret of Puerto Rico was crowned the winner by the outgoing titleholder, Gloria Diaz of the Philippines. Malaret (13 October 1949 – 19 March 2023) was the first Puerto Rican and the first Caribbean woman to win the Miss Universe title.
Results
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1970 | Puerto Rico – Marisol Malaret |
| 1st Runner-Up | United States – Deborah Shelton |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Australia – Joan Zealand |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Japan – Jun Shimada |
| 4th Runner-Up | Argentina – Beatriz Gross |
| Top 15 | Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Sweden, Switzerland, Venezuela |
Special Awards
- Miss Amity (Congeniality): Hilary Best (Guam)
- Miss Photogenic: Margaret Hill (Bermuda)
- Best National Costume: Roxana Brown (Bolivia)
- Queen of Expo '70: Josephine Wong (Malaysia) – a separate pre-pageant held in Osaka, Japan, judged by computer rather than human judges.
Key Facts
- Entrants: 63 countries and territories
- Placements: 15 semi-finalists
- Debut: Czechoslovakia
- Returns: Lebanon, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal
- Withdrawals: Bonaire (financial reasons), Thailand (disqualification for age), Yugoslavia (health reasons)
- Venue: Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
- Selection Committee: Included actress Pearl Bailey, model agency founder Eileen Ford, photographer Yousuf Karsh, and Miss Universe 1964 Corinna Tsopei, among others.
