Gladys Zender
|
Gladys Zender of Peru, Miss Universe 1957, in an official photo for the Miss Universe pageant. Winners back then also receieved a cape and scepter. (The 1956 and 1957 winners wore the 1958 ribbon in two official photos taken in 1958.) |
Gladys Zender (born
Gladys Urbina Zender on October 19,
1939), is a
Peruvian who made history in
1957, by becoming the first
Latin American to win the
Miss Universe title.
Zender became an instant celebrity in her native Peru. She flew in the inaugural flight from
Idlewild International Airport in
New York (the contest was held in
Long Beach, California) to
Jorge Chavez International Airport in
Lima, where she was received by thousands of countrymen and women.
Her victory was not without controversy. After she was crowned, it was revealed that she was 17 years old; a few months under the minimum age requirement of the pageant. Pageant officials decided that she would keep the crown because in Peru, a person is considered one year older if they are more than six months of their current age. Incidentally, that same year, Leona Gage of the USA was disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant (and losing her
Miss USA crown) when it was revealed she was married. Miss Argentina Monica Lamas replaced her in the semi-finals.
Soon after, the
Caretas magazine, one of Peru's most popular political magazines, featured her on their cover. She was also featured on that publication's first all-color cover.
She married Antonio Meier in
1965, soon secluding into a family life. They had four children together. Their son
Christian Meier is well-known in Peru as an actor and singer, and has achieved some notoriety in other Latin American countries.
In
2003, she let the photographers of Caretas back inside the mansion she and Meier share, showing various artifacts the couple have acquired through their years together, including a collection of
Incan art.
| Name! Country |
|---|
| First Runner-up | Terezinha Gonçalves Morango | Brazil |
| Second Runner-up | Cynthia Cooper (then take the stage name Sonia Hamilton) | Enland |
| Third Runner-up | María Rosa Gamio | Cuba |
| Fourth Runner-up | Gerti Daub | Germany |
| Semi-Finalists | Martha Lehmann | Alaska, USA |
| Hannerl Melcher | Austria |
| Gloria Noakes | Canada |
| Ligia Karavia | Greece |
| Valeria Fabrizzi | Italy |
| Kyoko Otani | Japan |
| Jacqueline Doreilla Bonilla | Morocco |
| Inger Jonsson | Sweden |
| Gabriela Pascal | Uruguay |
| Mary Leona Gage (disqualified) | USA |
| Mónica Lamas(entered the semi-finalists after Miss USA disqualified) | Argentina |
*
Miss Peru
