Find Out Who Took the Miss Universe Crown the Year You Were Born

1978: Miss South Africa, Margaret Gardiner

Margaret Gardiner is part of the Hollywood Foreign Press—the group that votes for the Golden Globes—and yes, she’s still owning red carpets, but this time with a mic. Long before she was chatting with A-listers, she made headlines in 1978 as the first Miss South Africa to win Miss Universe.

Margaret was only 18 years old and already studying psychology when she took the crown. Her win came during the apartheid era, which sparked political conversation worldwide, but she stayed focused on growth and education. Instead of going the modeling route, she dove into journalism, building a decades-long career covering entertainment.

More in Trending

You must be logged in to post a comment Login