Ieda Maria Vargas
Encyclopedia
Iêda Maria Vargas is a Brazil
ian who was crowned Miss Universe
in Miami Beach, Florida
in 1963. She was the first person from her country to win a major international beauty pageant. Vargas is a native of Rio Grande do Sul
. During her term she opened the Capital Plaza Mall
in Landover Hills, Maryland
, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
After living in Miami, for five years, Vargas returned to her native country, once again, as a permanent resident. She was a celebrity in Brazil, but, internationally, her fame faded as years went by because she preferred a private life.
In 1968, Martha Vasconcellos
of Bahia
became the second Brazilian to win the Miss Universe contest. As of 2009, Vargas and Vasconcellos are the only Brazilians to win the Miss Universe crown.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian who was crowned 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....
in Miami Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1963. She was the first person from her country to win a major international beauty pageant. Vargas is a native of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. During her term she opened the Capital Plaza Mall
Capital Plaza Mall
Capital Plaza Mall was a shopping mall located at the intersection of Annapolis Road and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Landover Hills, Maryland. It was built between 1961 and 1963, as a regional shopping center to serve the Bladensburg and Landover area of suburban Washington, D.C...
in Landover Hills, Maryland
Landover Hills, Maryland
Landover Hills is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,534 at the 2000 census.It has a neighborhood named Defense Heights.-Bordering areas:* Woodlawn * Greater Landover...
, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
After living in Miami, for five years, Vargas returned to her native country, once again, as a permanent resident. She was a celebrity in Brazil, but, internationally, her fame faded as years went by because she preferred a private life.
In 1968, Martha Vasconcellos
Martha Vasconcellos
Martha Vasconcellos , is a Brazilian who became that country's second Miss Universe winner, after Ieda Maria Vargas first achieved the feat in 1963. She also became the fifth Latin American to win the title, after Peru's Gladys Zender in 1957, Colombia's Luz Marina Zuluaga in 1958 and Argentina's...
of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
became the second Brazilian to win the Miss Universe contest. As of 2009, Vargas and Vasconcellos are the only Brazilians to win the Miss Universe crown.