Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago is a national beauty pageant held annually since 1963, a year after Trinidad and Tobago's independence from the United Kingdom. The contest is meant to select a suitable delegate from both islands to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
Trinidad debuted at Miss Universe in 1963, at which time the country used 'Trinidad' at its title. The first candidate was Jean Stodart, who competed at Miss Universe 1963 in the United States. Beginning in 1966, the country began to compete as 'Trinidad and Tobago' at the Miss Universe pageant.
The country's representative in 1977, Janelle âÂÂPennyâ Commissiong, became the first person of African ethnicity to win the Miss Universe contest, which was hosted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam captured the Miss Universe title in Hawaii, USA, becoming the second contestant from the country to win the title.
In May, 1999, the Miss Universe pageant was hosted at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago. A record 84 nations were represented. The winner that year was Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana. This was also the first time that two women of African descent won on consecutive occasions, with the prior year's winner being Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago.