TURNING BACK THE CLOCK TO 1999

Just ten days to go before Miss Universe 2009 will be crowned. We thought it would be fun to turn back the clock every ten years to take a look at pageants gone by.

1999 - The top top three are announced, Spain, Philippines, and Botswana. Certainly a most diverse group. Miss Spain has the whole package - beauty, personality, and that oh so risquee evening gown. Most people said the title was Miss Philippines' to lose and well, she did. It seems she got an attack of "Denny Fever," as in Denny Mendez, Miss Universe Italy 1997, whom everytime she had a chance to speak she just kept going on and on about racism in Italy. Well, Miss Philippines' downfall, literally, was her constance reference to how she fell during the prelimary evening gown competition and that she picked herself up and went on. You'd think this was like some major medical discovery. Finally, Miss Botswana, from a country no one ever heard about until that night. She was different, beautiful, articulate, and oh so mysteriously exotic. The judges bought it and she won. Next time, we turn back the clock the year will be 1989, considered by many one of the worst produced pageants ever.