Miss Universe 1978 – Margaret Gardiner -South Africa

Full Name: Margaret Gardiner

Date of Birth: August 21, 1959 (age 50)

Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa

Height: 178cm / 5’10”

Preceded by: Janelle Commissiong

Succeeded by: Maritza Sayalero

Margaret Gardiner of Woodstock, South Africa in 1978 won the first ever Miss Universe crown for South Africa and the African continent. At 18 years old, she won the hearts of many when she answered “I am willing to marry any man that I love,” when asked if she would agree to marry a man of native African descent. She was crowned in Acapulco, Mexico by Janelle Commissiong, the first black woman to ever win in the Miss Universe. She is married to a UCLA professor, Andre Nel and now works as a journalist in Los Angeles, California.