# Miss Universe 1978

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27th Miss Universe pageant

Miss Universe 1978 Margaret Gardiner Date 24 July 1978 Presenters Bob Barker Helen O'Connell Entertainment Robert Goulet Violines Mágicos de Villafontana Venue Centro de Convenciones de Acapulco, Acapulco, Mexico Broadcaster CBS (international) Televisa (official broadcaster) Entrants 75 Placements 12 Debuts Lesotho New Hebrides Withdrawals Antigua British Virgin Islands French Guiana Guadeloupe Haiti Indonesia Liberia Mauritius Saint Kitts Saint Lucia Sint Maarten Yugoslavia Returns Bonaire Guatemala Morocco Saint Vincent Turkey Winner Margaret Gardiner South Africa Congeniality Sophia Titus (Trinidad and Tobago) Best National Costume Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan (India) Photogenic Maribel Guardia (Costa Rica) ← 1977 1979 →

**Miss Universe 1978** was the 27th [Miss Universe](/source/Miss_Universe) pageant, held at the Centro de Convenciones de Acapulco in [Acapulco](/source/Acapulco), Mexico, on 24 July 1978.

At the conclusion of the event, [Janelle Commissiong](/source/Janelle_Commissiong) of Trinidad and Tobago crowned [Margaret Gardiner](/source/Margaret_Gardiner_(Miss_Universe)) of South Africa as Miss Universe 1978. This is first victory of South Africa in the pageant's history.

Contestants from seventy-five countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by [Bob Barker](/source/Bob_Barker) in his twelfth consecutive year, while [Helen O'Connell](/source/Helen_O'Connell) provided commentary and analysis throughout the event.

## Background

### Location and date

In a statement by Griff O'Neill of the Miss Universe Inc. in October 1976, it was stated that Singapore was one of the locations being considered for the Miss Universe pageant in 1978. According to the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, although they were interested in hosting the Miss Universe pageant for Singapore's publicity, they were also considering whether the expense was proportionate to the promotional impact they would get, and its importance.[1]

Two months after announcing that Miss Universe 1977 would be held in the Dominican Republic, Mexican Minister of Tourism Guillermo Rosell de La Lama announced on 11 March 1977 that the Miss Universe 1978 pageant would be held in Acapulco, Mexico on 24 July 1978 after Miss Universe accepted Mexico's invitation.[2][3]

### Selection of participants

Contestants from seventy-five countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Two candidates were selected to replace the original dethroned winner.[4][5]

#### Replacements

Miss Canada 1977 runner-up Andrea Eng was appointed to represent Canada after Catherine Swing stepped down as Miss Canada 1977 to get married.[4][6] Miss France 1978 first runner-up Brigitte Konjovic was appointed to represent France after Miss France 1978 Pascale Taurua chose to return to her hometown of New Caledonia instead of living in France.[5][7]

#### Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals

This edition saw the debuts of Lesotho and New Hebrides, and the returns of Saint Vincent which last competed in [1964](/source/Miss_Universe_1964); Bonaire which last competed in [1969](/source/Miss_Universe_1969);[8] Morocco which last competed in [1975](/source/Miss_Universe_1975); and Guatemala and Turkey which last competed in [1976](/source/Miss_Universe_1976).

Nadine Defraites of Antigua, Mlue Debor of Guadeloupe, and Ingrid Desmarais of Mauritius withdrew for undisclosed reasons.[9]

## Results

Miss Universe 1978 participating nations and results

### Placements

Placement[10] Contestant Miss Universe 1978 South Africa – Margaret Gardiner 1st Runner-Up United States – Judi Andersen 2nd Runner-Up Spain – Guillermina Ruiz 3rd Runner-Up Colombia – Shirley Saenz 4th Runner-Up Sweden – Cécilia Rodhe Top 12 Belgium – Françoise Moens Chile – Marianne Müller Holland – Karen Gustafsson Ireland – Lorraine Enriquez Israel – Dorit Jellinek Mexico – Alba Margarita Cervera Peru – Olga Zumaran

## Pageant

### Judges

The following celebrities judged the final competition:[11]

- [Christiane Martel](/source/Christiane_Martel) – [Miss Universe 1953](/source/Miss_Universe_1953) from France

- [Dewi Sukarno](/source/Dewi_Sukarno) – Japanese socialite and former first lady of Indonesia

- [David Merrick](/source/David_Merrick) – Tony Award-winning American theatrical producer

- [Line Renaud](/source/Line_Renaud) – French singer and actress

- [Miloš Forman](/source/Milo%C5%A1_Forman) – Film director from Czechoslovakia

- [Ursula Andress](/source/Ursula_Andress) – Swiss actress and sex symbol of the 1960s

- [Melba Moore](/source/Melba_Moore) – American singer

- [Roberto Cavalli](/source/Roberto_Cavalli) – Italian fashion designer

- [Wilhelmina Cooper](/source/Wilhelmina_Cooper) – Founder of [Wilhelmina Models](/source/Wilhelmina_Models)

- [Anna Moffo](/source/Anna_Moffo) – American opera singer

- [Mario Moreno](/source/Cantinflas) – Mexican comedian and stage and film actor

## Contestants

Seventy-five contestants competed for the title.

Country/Territory Contestant Age[a] Hometown American Samoa Palepa Sio Tauliili[12] 21 Pago Pago Argentina Delia Muñoz 17 Buenos Aires Aruba Margarita Tromp[13] 26 Oranjestad Australia Beverley Pinder[14] 23 Melbourne Austria Doris Anwander 18 Bregenz Bahamas Dulcie Millings 18 Nassau Barbados Judy Miller[15] 20 Saint Michael Belgium Françoise Moens 18 Brussels Belize Christina Ysaguirre 20 Belmopan Bermuda Madeline Joell 19 Smith's Parish Bolivia Raquel Roca 18 Guayaramerín Bonaire Corinne Hernandez[8] 19 Kralendijk Brazil Suzana Araújo 20 Dionísio Canada Andrea Eng 22 Vancouver Chile Marianne Müller 18 Santiago Colombia Shirley Sáenz 18 Bogotá Costa Rica Maribel Fernández 19 San José Curaçao Solange de Castro 20 Willemstad Denmark Anita Heske 20 Copenhagen Dominican Republic Raquel Josefina Jacobo 17 San Cristóbal Ecuador Mabel Ceballos 18 Guayaquil El Salvador Iris Mazorra 18 San Salvador England Beverly Isherwood 19 Bolton Finland Seija Paakkola[16] 19 Oulu France Brigitte Konjovic[17] 18 Paris French Polynesia Pascaline Tumia Teriireoo 19 Papeete Greece Marieta Kountouraki 21 Thessaloniki Guam Mary Lois Sampson 22 Mangilao Guatemala Claudia María Iriarte 20 Guatemala City Holland Karen Gustafsson 21 Rotterdam Honduras Olimpia Velásquez 20 Tegucigalpa Hong Kong Winnie Chan 22 Kowloon Iceland Anna Björk Edwards 19 Reykjavík India Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan 23 New Delhi Ireland Lorraine Enriquez[18] 19 Dublin Israel Dorit Jellinek 19 Haifa Italy Andreina Mazzoti 21 Brescia Japan Hisako Manda 20 Osaka Lebanon Reine Antoine Semaan 17 Beirut Lesotho Joan Libuseng Khoali 21 Maseru Malaysia Yasmin Yusuff 22 Kuala Lumpur Malta Pauline Farrugia 22 Żebbuġ Mexico Alba Margarita Cervera[19] 19 Yucatan Morocco Majida Tazi 18 Rabat New Hebrides Christine Spooner 18 Luganville New Zealand Jane Simmonds[20] 21 Auckland Nicaragua Claudia Herrera 19 Masaya Northern Mariana Islands Julias Salas Concepción 17 Saipan Norway Jeanette Aarum 19 Oslo Panama Diana Leticia Conte 20 Panama City Papua New Guinea Angelyn Muta Tukana 21 Bougainville Paraguay Rosa María Duarte 26 Asunción Peru Olga Zumarán 19 Lima Philippines Jennifer Cortes[21] 17 Manila Puerto Rico Ada Perkins 18 San Juan Réunion Evelyn Pongerand 19 La Possession Saint Vincent Gailene Collin 22 Kingstown Scotland Angela McLeod 20 Fife Singapore Annie Lee 20 Singapore South Africa Margaret Gardiner 18 Cape Town South Korea Jung-eun Shon 23 Seoul Spain Guillermina Ruiz 21 Barcelona Sri Lanka Dlirukshi Wimalasooriya 27 Colombo Suriname Garrance Rustwijk 18 Paramaribo Sweden Cécilia Rodhe 17 Gothenburg Switzerland Sylvia von Arx 20 Appenzell Innerrhoden Thailand Pornpit Sakornvijit 23 Bangkok Trinidad and Tobago Sophia Titus 18 Port of Spain Turkey Billur Lutfiye Bingol 19 Istanbul United States Judi Andersen 20 Honolulu United States Virgin Islands Barbara Henderson 23 Christiansted Uruguay María del Carmen da Rosa 21 Salto Venezuela Marisol Alfonzo 21 Caracas Wales Elizabeth Ann Jones 20 Welshpool West Germany Eva Marie Gabrielle Gottschalk 26 Berlin

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-A_12-0)** Ages at the time of the pageant

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["STPB WILL HOST CONTEST IF PRICE IS RIGHT"](https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19760723-1.2.104). *[The Straits Times](/source/The_Straits_Times)*. 23 July 1976. p. 17. Retrieved 27 April 2026 – via National Library Board.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Miss Universe keuze in Mexico"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010639112:mpeg21:p006) [Miss Universe choice in Mexico]. *Amigoe* (in Dutch). 11 March 1977. p. 6. Retrieved 27 April 2026 – via Delpher.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Universe"](http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Page/beritaharian19770311-1.1.3). *Berita Harian*. 11 March 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 27 April 2026 – via National Library Board.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_4-1) ["World Chance"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107430190/world-chance/). *Times Colonist*. 10 May 1978. p. 25. Retrieved 27 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_5-1) Gnipate, Steeven (5 March 2015). ["Que devient la Calédonienne Pascale Taurua, Miss France 1978?"](https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/2015/03/05/que-devient-pascal-taurua-la-caledonienne-miss-france-1978-235719.html). *Outre-mer la 1ère* (in French). Retrieved 27 April 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Perennial problem"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107429960/the-windsor-star/). *The Windsor Star*. 8 November 1977. p. 2. Retrieved 3 May 2026 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Mitote, Pascal (8 March 2015). ["Pascale Taurua, Miss France 1978"](https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/tahiti/pascale-taurua-miss-france-1978-236573.html). *Polynésie la 1ère* (in French). Retrieved 3 May 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_8-1) ["Bij verkiezing Miss Bonaire Programma uitgelopen"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010639269:mpeg21:p002) [Election Miss Bonaire Program ended]. *Amigoe* (in Dutch). 12 April 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 3 May 2026 – via Delpher.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Maria Allard, Miss Mauritius d?un décevant concours"](https://lexpress.mu/article/maria-allard-miss-mauritius-dun-d%C3%A9cevant-concours). *L'Express* (in French). 11 June 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:4_10-0)** ["Sudafricana electa Miss Universo"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2cA0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=_tAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1240%2C7333672). *La Nacion* (in Spanish). 25 July 1978. pp. 1, 4A. Retrieved 27 April 2026 – via [Google News Archive](/source/Google_News_Archive).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-latimes_11-0)** ["Once More... Who's the Fairest"](https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/670176612.html?dids=670176612:670176612&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+24%2C+1978&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Once+More...+Who%27s+the+Fairest&pqatl=google). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. July 24, 1978. Retrieved 10 July 2011.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Beauties all set for big contest"](http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19780724-1.1.13). *The Straits Times*. 24 July 1978. p. 13. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via National Library Board.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Miss Aruba naar Mexico"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010639331:mpeg21:p005) [Miss Aruba to Mexico]. *Amigoe* (in Dutch). 27 June 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via Delpher.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Choice of the week"](https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/267444569?searchTerm=%22Miss%20Universe%22). *Royal Australian Navy News*. 3 November 1978. p. 3. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via Trove.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["West Indian trio"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=82xOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L0cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3093%2C1745760). *[The Virgin Islands Daily News](/source/The_Virgin_Islands_Daily_News)*. 17 July 1978. p. 10. Retrieved 8 February 2026 – via [Google News Archive](/source/Google_News_Archive).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Lindfors, Jukka (22 November 2011) [28 October 2009]. ["Seija Paakkola, Miss Suomi 1978"](https://yle.fi/a/20-105332) [Seija Paakkola, Miss Finland 1978]. *Yle* (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Lazaar, Liane (11 December 2021). ["Miss France : Une reine de beauté est la mère d'un comédien de Scènes de ménages !"](https://www.purepeople.com/article/miss-france-une-reine-de-beaute-est-la-mere-d-un-comedien-de-scenes-de-menages_a467338/1). *Purepeople* (in French). Retrieved 3 May 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Miss Ireland flies out"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/irish-independent-miss-ireland-flies-out/175034975/). *[Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent)*. 1 July 1978. p. 11. Retrieved 17 March 2026 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Jan. 25, 2015 - Mexico - MÉXICO, D.F. Competition Concurso-Miss Universo.- Alba Margarita Cervera Lavat fue Señorita México"](https://www.imago-images.com/st/0066146853). *imago-images*. January 25, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Miss N.Z. title goes north"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/press/1978/05/18/1). *[The Press](/source/The_Press)*. [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch), New Zealand. 18 May 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 29 January 2026 – via [Papers Past](/source/National_Library_of_New_Zealand#Papers_Past).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Lo, Ricky (16 March 2016). ["Whatever happened to Jennifer Cortes?"](https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2016/03/16/1563640/whatever-happened-jennifer-cortes). *[Philippine Star](/source/Philippine_Star)*. Retrieved 8 February 2026.

## External links

- [Miss Universe official website](http://www.missuniverse.com/)

v t e Miss Universe 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Titleholders Runners-up and finalists Editions Countries Scorings

v t e Miss Universe 1978 national titleholders AUS: Beverley Pinder CRI: Maribel Guardia IND: Alamjeet Kaur Chauhan JAP: Hisako Manda MYS: Yasmin Yusoff MEX: Alba Margarita Cervera PUR: Ada Perkins RSA: Margaret Gardiner (winner) SWE: Cécilia Rodhe USA: Judi Andersen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Miss Universe 1978](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Universe_1978) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Universe_1978?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.