Dayanara Torres Pictures

Dayanara Torres Delgado, popularly known as "Yari" in the Philippines, is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model and former Miss Universe, born on October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

At age 17, Dayanara Torres was discovered while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown, and was subsequently invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won the pageant, and the right to represent Puerto Rico in the 1993 Miss Universe pageant. In 1992, she participated in the Miss International pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. She also placed second in the 1992 Queen of the World contest.

Torres won the crown in the Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico City on May 21, 1993. Torres's victory in the pageant caused some controversy because of the claim that she was still a minor; Torres had actually turned 18 several months before the contest. Her victory also raised some eyebrows, as she did not top any of the pageant's segments. Subsequently, Torres was received in Puerto Rico with a massive parade.
During and after her reign, she became an ambassador for UNICEF, traveling through Asia and Latin America in support of the organization. She created the Dayanara Torres Foundation which has provided scholarships to poor students in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In 1994 she went to Manila to crown the new Miss Universe. During the ceremony, she sang "A Whole New World" as a duet with Peabo Bryson.