Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza has been crowned Miss Universe 2008. The first runner-up went to Miss Columbia Taliana Vargas. The pageant was hosted by Jerry Springer and took place at the Crown Convention Center in Nhr Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.

After winning Mendoza said she discovered how to stay poised after being kidnapped as a little girl in her homeland.

An elated Dayana Mendoza received the crown from her predecessor, Riyo Mori of Japan, and then prepared to meet a gaggle of reporters. Miss Venezuela, 22, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart just like last year’s Miss USA fell down during the pageant when she got tangled up in her dress (watch video of the fall).

Tension got under the skin of Crystle Steward of Texas, the second Miss USA in a row to fall down during the Miss Universe pageant. She tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance.

The pageant was hosted by Jerry Springer and judged by Donald Trump, Jr., Robert Cavalli, Nadine Velazquez, Louis Licari, Jennifer Hawkins, Taryn Rose, Nguyen Cong Khe, Joseph Cinque and Eesha Koppikhar.

Here is a look at the Top 10 Contestants:

• Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza
• Miss USA Cyrstle Steward
• Miss Italy Claudia Ferraris
• Miss Russia Vera Krasova
• Miss Dominican Republic Marianne Cruz
• Miss Kosovo Zana Krasniqi
• Miss Australia Laura Dundovic
• Miss Spain Claudia Moro
• Miss Mexico Elisa Najera
• Miss Columbia Taliana Vargas

More Photos of Miss Venezuela