10 Hispanic Beauties Who Won Major Pageants (4 of 6)

5. Dayanara Torres

Dayanara Torres’ discovery was a matter of fate. One moment the then-17-year-old Puerto Rican was leisurely strolling along the plaza in her hometown of Toa Alta, and the next moment she was coaxed into representing Toa Alta in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant. The rest is history. She was ultimately declared Miss Universe 1993. These days, she wears many hats: she’s an actress, a singer, and a popular author of books offering relationship advice.

4. Maritza Sayalero

Maritza Sayalero, the first Venezuelan to win Miss Universe when she did so in 1979, was so revered by her fellow countrymen that in the 1980s, a lot of parents named their babies after her. But get this: after the live telecast of the pageant had ended, a crowd of journalists and photographers gathered onto the stage in hopes of snapping the perfect picture of her. The overbearing weight caused the stage to collapse, creating a gaping hole and causing injuries to Miss Brazil and Miss Turkey. Great job, stupid gaping holes!