- Born
- Died
- Birth nameIêda Maria Brutto Vargas
- Height5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
- Vargas was the first Brazilian to win the title of Miss Universe, at the age of 18, on July 20, 1963, in Miami Beach. For Brazilians at the time, beauty pageants had as much popularity and nationwide importance as soccer and the World Cup, and the Miss Brazil competition was considered the best organized and publicized national beauty contest in the world by Miss Universe Inc., the then organizer of the Pageant.
On her visit to Brazil, shortly after winning, she was greeted by millions of people along the streets as she paraded in Brasilia, and was received by President João Goulart, in Rio de Janeiro, under large amounts of shredded paper thrown from nearby office buildings, and in Porto Alegre, her hometown.
On August 1, 1964, Vargas ended her contractual obligations, after the crowning of her successor, Greek Corinna Tsopei. Later, she lived in Miami for a few years, returned to Brazil, and eventually married and had a son, Rafael, and a daughter, Fernanda, withdrawing from public life.
In 2000, Vargas suffered a stroke, which left her with long-term complications.
- IMDb mini biography by: rod-duncan
- SpouseJosé Carlos Athanásio(1968 - 2009) (his death, 2 children)
- The victory of Iêda Maria Vargas opened doors for Brazilian models and beauty queens long before the country became a global powerhouse in fashion. She helped redefine what Brazilian beauty meant to the world, setting a standard that blended warmth, strength, and sophistication.
- Iêda Maria Vargas began her beauty pageant journey by winning the title of Queen of the Swimming Pools of Rio Grande do Sul in 1962, at the age of 17.
- In 1963, she was crowned Miss Porto Alegre, Miss Rio Grande do Sul, Miss Brazil and on July 20, 1963, at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Florida, United States, 18-year-old Iêda Maria Vargas was crowned Miss Universe, making history as the first Brazilian to achieve this major international title. She competed against 50 delegates from various countries. Her victory followed three runners-up for Brazil with Martha Rocha (1954), Terezinha Morango (1957) and Adalgisa Colombo (1958).
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