Dayanara Torres Delgado (born October 28, 1974, in San Juan) is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model, writer, and beauty queen who won Miss Universe 1993. She was discovered at age 17 in Toa Alta, won the Miss Puerto Rico pageant, and represented Puerto Rico in the 1993 Miss Universe pageant. In 1992, she was a semi-finalist in the Miss International pageant and placed second in the Queen of the World contest.
Torres won the Miss Universe crown in Mexico City in May 1993. Her victory caused controversy due to claims she was still a minor, but she had turned 18 several months earlier. After winning, she gained popularity in the Philippines and was welcomed with a parade in Puerto Rico. She served as a UNICEF ambassador, traveling in Asia and Latin America, and created the Dayanara Torres Foundation to provide scholarships to poor students in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In 1994, she crowned the new Miss Universe in Manila and performed a duet of "A Whole New World" with Peabo Bryson during the ceremony.
Puerto Rico
