Gladys Zender
Encyclopedia
Gladys Rosa Zender de Meier (née Zender Urbina; born October 19, 1939) is a beauty queen
from Peru
who became the first Latin America
n woman to win the Miss Universe
title.
in Long Beach
, California
, United States
.
After being crowned, it was revealed that she was only 17 years old, a few months under the contest's minimum age requirement. Pageant officials decided that she could keep the crown after they were told she was considered to be 18 in Peru. That same year, Miss USA
Mary Leona Gage
was stripped of her title and disqualified from the semifinals of the Miss Universe pageant after it was revealed she was a married mother of two children. Miss Argentina, Mónica Lamas, replaced her as one of the 15 semifinalists.
, is a well-known actor and singer in Peru and has achieved some fame in other Latin American countries.
In 2003, Zender allowed Caretas to photograph her (and Meier's) home showcasing various artifacts, including a collection of Incan art, the couple have acquired through their years together.
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
from Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
who became the first Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n woman to win the Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
title.
Miss Universe
Born to a Swiss father and a Peruvian mother, she obtained the title of Miss Universe 1957Miss Universe 1957
The 6th Miss Universe pageant, Miss Universe 1957 was held in Long Beach, California, USA for the 6th time. In this pageant thirty two contestants competed...
in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
After being crowned, it was revealed that she was only 17 years old, a few months under the contest's minimum age requirement. Pageant officials decided that she could keep the crown after they were told she was considered to be 18 in Peru. That same year, Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
Mary Leona Gage
Mary Leona Gage
Mary Leona Gage was a beauty queen from Maryland who was crowned Miss USA 1957, the first, and so far, only woman from that state to capture the Miss USA crown...
was stripped of her title and disqualified from the semifinals of the Miss Universe pageant after it was revealed she was a married mother of two children. Miss Argentina, Mónica Lamas, replaced her as one of the 15 semifinalists.
Return to Peru
Zender became an instant celebrity.- She flew on the inaugural flight from Idlewild International Airport in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to Jorge Chavez International AirportJorge Chávez International AirportJorge Chávez International Airport , known as Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez in Spanish, is Peru's main international and domestic airport. It is located in Callao, 11 kilometers from the Historic Centre of Lima and 17 km from Miraflores. Callao is the port city now fully...
in LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru, where she was greeted by thousands of fans. - CaretasCaretasCaretas is a weekly newsmagazine published in Lima, Peru, renowned for its investigative journalism. It was founded in October 1950 by Doris Gibson and Francisco Igartua....
, one of Peru's most-popular newsmagazineNewsmagazineA news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
s, soon featured Zender on their cover. She was also later featured on that publication's first all-color cover. - The Peruvian composer Alicia Maguina created a song called "Polka a Gladys Zender" (Polka dedicated to Gladys Zender). It was also titled "La más hermosa" (The most beautiful) and was recorded by the Peruvian group Los Troveros CriollosLos Troveros CriollosLos Troveros Criollos is one of the most relevant groups in the history of Peruvian's musica criolla. Between 1952 and 1961 they recorded a wide range of songs, which became standards within this genre.-History:...
.
Personal life
Zender married Antonio Meier in 1965, and secluded herself into a family life; they had four children together. Their son, Christian MeierChristian Meier
Christian Dietrich Meier Zender is a well-known Peruvian actor and singer in Latin America.-Biography:Christian Dietrich Meier Zender was born in Lima, Peru, the youngest of four children. He is the son of Gladys Zender, Miss Universe 1957, and Antonio Meier. His father is from Peru and his mother...
, is a well-known actor and singer in Peru and has achieved some fame in other Latin American countries.
In 2003, Zender allowed Caretas to photograph her (and Meier's) home showcasing various artifacts, including a collection of Incan art, the couple have acquired through their years together.
External links
- Waltz for Gladys Zender Peruvian waltz dedicated to Gladys Zender
- Polka for Gladys Zender Peruvian polka dedicated to Gladys Zender.