Latin American beauties rule the Universe

Miss Universe pageant has given the glorious tiara to Miss Venezuela who was crowned Miss Universe 2008, yesterday.
This year the pageant was very interesting because of it���s unconventional participants, the tripping and tumbling of beauties and the story of the kidnapped Miss Universe. Here���s what the Miss Universe pageant 2008 was all about:
The crowned glory
Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela has been crowned Miss Universe 2008.Mendoza and three other Latin Americans women made the final five at Sunday���s contest. The four other finalists were Miss Colombia Tailana Vargas, Miss Dominican Republic Marianne Cruz Gonzalez, Miss Mexico Elisa Najera, and Miss Russia Vera Krasova.
At a news conference after this year���s event, a beaming Mendoza said she wasn���t yet sure where her upcoming year of whirlwind appearances would take her. But after a quick stop in New York, she wants to see her family again, enjoy some of her mom���s home cooking and give everyone hugs. ���When I go back to Venezuela I will jump on my family and they will jump on me,��� said Mendoza. ���But I will work towards world peace and non-violence,��� she added.
Tripping tumbling
For the second year in a row, Miss USA has fallen down during the evening gown competition at the Miss Universe competition. It was a nightmare come true for Miss USA Crystle Stewart, a Texan, who tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance. During the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition and became an unintended star on You Tube, where the video was shown over and over again. Like Smith, Stewart quickly stood up after her fall and continued on as if nothing had happened.
Miss unconventional congeniality
This year���s contestants span a wide range of experiences and aspirations. Miss Albania was a professional basketball player. Miss Argentina says she has paranormal experiences.
Miss Antigua and Barbuda is fascinated by snakes. The new Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure. Miss Angola was in a plane crash while trying to escape a conflict during her country���s civil war. The shortest contestant in this year's show is Miss El Salvador, a petite 5-foot-3. The tallest are Miss Jamaica, Miss Mexico and Miss Peru, who measure 6 feet.