The title "Miss Universe" was first used by the International Pageant of Pulchritude in 1926. The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, California in 1952. The current Miss Universe is Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua who was crowned on November 18, 2023 in San Salvador, El Salvador. The pageant's advocacy is "humanitarian issues and is a voice to affect positive change in the world"