Miss Universe is an annual international
beauty pageant that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. Along with its rival contests,
Miss World and
Miss Earth, this pageant is one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world. The pageant was founded in 1952 by the
California clothing company Pacific Mills, and is owned, along with
Miss USA, by
WME/
IMG. In 1998, Miss Universe, Inc. changed its name to Miss Universe Organization, and moved its headquarters from
Los Angeles to
New York City.