Miss Universe 1959 was the eighth Miss Universe pageant, held on 24 July 1959 at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States. At the end of the event, Luz Marina Zuluaga of Colombia crowned Akiko Kojima of Japan as Miss Universe 1959; Kojima became the first representative of Japan and the first Asian woman to win the title. Thirty-four contestants competed, and the pageant was hosted by Byron Palmer. This was the last year the pageant was held in Long Beach before moving to Miami Beach in 1960.