At the Miss World 1994 pageant in Sun City, South Africa, Basetsana Makgalemele from South Africa became the first runner-up, and Irene Ferreira from Venezuela ended up as the second runner-up, while Aishwarya wore the winner's crown. On her 51st birthday, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit Aishwarya's winning moment from Miss World 1994.

Aishwarya impressed people from around the world with her beauty and elegance at the Miss World 1994 pageant. Her final answer won her the title that year. The judges asked her, "What are the qualities Miss World should embody?"

Aishwarya answered, "The Miss Worlds that we have had up to date, have been proof enough that they have had compassion. Compassion for the underprivileged and not only for the people who have status and stature. We have had people, who can look beyond the barriers that man has set up – of nationalities and colour. We have to look beyond those and that would make a true Miss World. A true person, a real person."

Watch Aishwarya Rai's Miss World crowning moment:

During the 1994 competition, Aishwarya Rai had talked about her Indian roots in the introduction video and highlighted the different cultures and races that co-exist in the country, "We've got the world in India. It's more cosmopolitan because [there are] so many religions in India, so many races. It is an amalgamation of so many cultures and people have learnt to live together in that," she said.