Last month, Maria Gabriela Isler of Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe— the 62nd woman to be crowned with the prestigious title since the competition was founded in 1952.

And while the Miss Universe crown represents one of the most honorable of all beauty titles, hundreds of pageants take place all over the world each year.

Throughout the past 60 years of Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions, former beauty queens have gone on to have successful careers — journalists such as Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer, Oscar winners like Halle Berry, many leaders in philanthropy, and more.

Check out the former beauty queens who are doing their parts to change the world.

Miss Kansas Theresa Vail looked like the average contestant when she competed in Miss America this year.

But during the swimsuit segment, this army sergeant became the first contestant to ever expose her tattoos.

Miss Kansas Theresa Vail was only the second contestant in the military to ever compete in Miss America, and altough she didn't win, she placed in the top 10.

She's also an expert M16 marksman, a bow hunter, a skydiver, a boxer and a mechanic, according to People. 

Vail also became the first contestant to showcase her tattoos during this year's competition.

"Why am I choosing to bear my tattoos?" Vail says. "My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers. What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. How can I tell other women to be fearless and true to themselves if I can't do the same? I am who I am, tattoos and all." 

Lauren Nelson won the Miss America crown in 2007 and used her title for a good cause ...

After seven years on the market, former Tommy Hilfiger CEO and co-founder Joel Horowitz has sold his gargantuan Lake Tahoe estate for $48 million, significantly under the initial $100 million asking price.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a holding company called Tranquil Investments LLC purchased the property.

After lowering the price to $75 million in 2011, Horowitz proposed a deal to potential buyers: He said he would personally finance the purchase for a qualified buyer.

The 210-acre estate, called Tranquility, is the largest on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. In addition to a 27,000-square-foot mansion, it has an indoor glass mosaic pool, private lake, two par-3 golf holes and an indoor golf simulator, horse stables, a wine cellar, a cinema, and separate guest and staff residences.

As 210 acres, Tranquility is the largest private estate on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

It's incredibly private -- the perfect getaway for a billionaire.

In addition to a 27,000-square-foot main home, there are guest and staff quarters and a 16-car garage.

Life might be better on the buy-side if you work on Wall Street.

People who work at hedge funds tend to get a bigger salary and better hours as opposed to investment banking.  Not to mention, they also have a more relaxed dress code (loafers, slacks and a fleece vest).

What's more is hedge funds have some really nice perks for their employees. These range anywhere from making sure the employees are well-fed to team vacations in the Bahamas.     

We spoke to some hedge fund sources who spilled about which funds have these awesome perks.  We also did our own research on the web to dig up other perks.

If we're missing any bigs ones, feel free to send an email to jlaroche@businessinsider.com. 

Marc Lasry's Avenue Capital has free ordered-in breakfast. Not a bad way to start the day.

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square has a state-of-the-art gym at its 888 Seventh Avenue headquarters. We hear that there's also a personal trainer who comes in.

Blackstone, a private equity/investment banking/hedge fund firm, has an in-house shoe shine person.

Source: Dealbook, William Alden

Now that the iPhone will be available on China Mobile, the world's largest carrier, it's time to take a serious look at China as the main battleground for the mobile industry. 

At BI Intelligence, we recently surveyed some of the best data available on China's mobile computing market. We collected it in an in-depth PowerPoint presentation. The full 50-slide version, as well as our ongoing China coverage, is only available to subscribers. But we're publishing an abridged version, below. 

BI Intelligence is a research and analysis service focused on mobile computing and the Internet. Subscribers can access the full report associated with this deck, download the deck as a PDF or PowerPoint, and access the individual charts and data. Please sign up for a free trial here.

As the housing recovery continues into 2014, some new real estate markets will start getting more attention.  

Real estate site Trulia has come up with a list of the top 10 housing markets to watch in 2014. 

Jed Kolko, Trulia's chief economist, told Business Insider that two main factors were considered when compiling the list. 

"Markets that have faster job growth tend to have stronger housing," Kolko said. "We looked at job growth over the past year, and also over a longer period of time. Housing markets don't only depend on what's happening today in the economy, but where it's going in the longer term."

Construction activity in 2013 was the other main consideration in compiling Trulia's list. 

"We looked at whether builders are betting on local markets, since builders build in markets where they think will be demand," Kolko said. 

The cities that made the list may be surprising to some, and there's a reason for that. The survey excluded regions where homes tend to be overvalued, such as the coastal areas of California. They also didn't consider areas where rates of foreclosure were high, as they are in parts of Florida. 

Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD

Job growth: 2.2%

Construction permits (relative to average for area since 1990): 92%

A Trulia report from December 2012 ranked these Washington, D.C. suburban metro areas as the third strongest market in the country.

And according to an article in Maryland's Gazette, single-family home inventory is down, while demand is way up. Downtown Bethesda, especially, is having a boom — 2,000 new apartments and condos are set to be developed there in coming years. 

Pictured:7224 Arrowood Road., Bethesda ($6,250,000)

Charlotte, NC-SC

Job growth: 3.3%

Construction permits (relative to average for area since 1990): 86%

Real-estate nonprofit Urban Land Institute ranked Charlotte 16th on their list of markets to watch for 2014.

According to the Charlotte Observer, "The continued influx of newcomers to Charlotte, coupled with its stable education system and growing medical sector, makes it attractive to national as well as regional real estate investors...and demand has increased so steadily in recent years that experts now say there aren’t enough homes for sale."

Pictured: 7430 Baltusrol Lane, Charlotte ($4,750,000)

Denver, CO

Job growth: 2.6%

Construction permits (relative to average for area since 1990): 94%

The Denver housing market is significantly healthier than it was at this time a year ago. 5,337 homes were under contract this September, compared to 4,457 in September 2012, and average selling prices are up 8% from a year ago. 

 "We are seeing homes sell for prices that exceed any time in our history," Steve Blank of Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty said to Colorado's Inside Real Estate News."Denver is leading the way."

Pictured: 380 Fillmore Street, Denver ($2,450,000) 

Who says it's no longer a straight line to the top?

In the past month, two of the biggest and best-known corporations in the world, General Motors and Wal-Mart, rewarded loyalty by giving the CEO job to people who had spent their entire careers at the company. 

Mary Barra of GM rose from a summer job as a teenager inspecting panels at a Pontiac plant to the automaker's first female CEO. And Doug McMillon of Wal-Mart started out at the company unloading trucks and then climbed the ranks for decades. 

We've collected some of the other major CEOs who have managed to rise from entry-level positions all the way to the top of their companies.  

Incoming GM CEO Mary Barra started out at age 18 in 1980 inspecting panels at a Pontiac plant.

Over the course of her 33-year career at GM, Barra has held a variety of jobs, including plant manager, executive assistant to the CEO, and head of Human Resources. She'll become the first female CEO of a major automaker starting next year, replacing current chief Dan Akerson. 

Doug McMillon's first job at Wal-Mart was unloading trucks at a distribution center in Arkansas.

Over the course of his career, McMillon has been in just about every job at Wal-Mart. He quickly made his way from a buyer in an Oklahoma store to a series of management positions at the headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. He followed the same career path as current CEO Michael Duke, who he'll replace next year, and previously ran Sam's Club and the company's international operations.

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty joined the company in 1981 as a systems engineer.

Rometty took over for Sam Palmisano in early 2012. Over the course of her career at IBM, she spearheaded the company's move into the consulting business and its transition to the cloud. She also oversaw the development of the WATSON supercomputer. 

This week, the Middle East became a winter wonderland. It snowed in Egypt today for the first time in over a 100 years, and earlier this week parts of Israel got blanketed in a winter storm, the likes of which it hadn't seen in at least 50 years, according to The Weather Channel.   

In Jerusalem, schools and offices were closed and public transportation was briefly suspended after heavy snowfall on Thursday, while a storm named Alexa continues sweeping across Syria and Lebanon, bringing with it high winds and freezing temperatures.  

The cold weather has been particularly difficult for Syrian refugees, many of whom are living in tent camps and are unprepared for freezing temperatures. Two children reportedly froze to death in Syria, Euronews reported.

These Reuters photos show how people in the Middle East reacted to the unexpected snow.

Men built a snowman in front of the Dome of the Rock, a sacred spot in Jerusalem's Old City.Orthodox Jewish men roll a snowball at a park in Jerusalem.

An Orthodox Jewish man builds a snowman in Jerusalem.

Public transport was briefly suspended in Jerusalem and parts of the occupied West Bank after heavy snowfall on Dec. 12, 2013.

People improvised cold-weather gear in Jerusalem's Old City.

Schools and offices in Jerusalem and parts of the occupied West Bank were closed after heavy snowfall on Dec. 12, 2013.

For some, the snow was a welcome surprise.

Free Syrian Army fighters play with snow in Raqqa, eastern Syria.

Free Syrian Army fighters throw snow in Khan Tuman, Aleppo.

Syrian refugees play with snow in a tented settlement a few kilometers from the border in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Camps like this one have been particularly hard-hit by the cold weather.

Khalid bin al Walid Mosque in Homs, Syria.

SEE ALSO: Pictures Of Snow In Cairo For The First Time In 112 Years

Join the conversation about this story »

Despite Bitcoin's pronounced volatility, a Las Vegas realtor will readily accept the cryptocurreny as payment for an expansive 25,000 square foot Las Vegas estate.

The house can be yours for a mere $7.85 million, or 8,991 Bitcoins (at the time of this writing).

Jack and Laura Summer, the current owners, got the idea to accept Bitcoin from their sons, who are avid users of the currency, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. By accepting Bitcoin, the Summers can quite literally sell their house to anyone in the world. Since Bitcoin is decentralized and not regulated by a single governing body, anyone on the planet can pay with it.

Here's a brief description of the house from the Las Vegas Review Journal:

Its finishing touches include marble from China, Iceland and Brazil. It has a full basement, plus staff quarters with Jacuzzis and a secret garden. Its 25,000 square feet of space has 39 air-conditioning zones fed from a 120-ton cooling tower. The library shelves are made of stainless steel and clad in American cherry wood. From the owner’s suite, you can see five fairways on the Spanish Trail Country Club’s golf course, and Anna Nicole Smith shot a movie in the 2,000-square-foot guest house. Listed at $7.85 million, it’s definitely an outlier, at more than 4,000 percent of the median local sales price for a single-family home.

Since beginning writing this story, the value of Bitcoin has swung such that the house now costs 9,057 Bitcoins.

The house is 25,000 square feet.

Gorgeous marble floors and huge windows help fill it with natural light.

This is just one of a few outdoor seating areas.

You may remember "The Rich Kids of Instagram,"a Tumblr started last year that documented the escapades of obnoxiously rich teens and young adults who posted snapshots to the photo-sharing service. 

Now, some of those "kids" are getting their own TV show on E!.

And now thanks to The New York Post's Page Six, we finally know who the mega-wealthy 20-somethings will be: E.J. Johnson, Dorothy Wang, Morgan Stewart, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Roxy Sowlaty, and Jonny Drubel.

Since we couldn't wait for the 2014 premiere date, we dug into their Instagram accounts. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect.

Dorothy Wang, 25, is a self-described “funemployed” daughter of Beverly Hills business mogul Roger Wang, the billionaire CEO of Golden Eagle International Group.

She likes to shop.

And has awesome clothes.

She only flies private.

And loves to party.

(Follow Dorothy here)

This is interior designer Roxy Sowlaty. She loves "anything that sparkles."

She hangs out in limos.

Goes on really nice vacations.

She also has a cute dog:

And loves to shop.

(Follow Roxy here)

Then there's handsome singer Jonny Drubel. 

He's a fan of selfies.

And partying.

He has awesome vacations, too.

And pretty friends.

(Follow Jonny here)

Blogger Morgan Stewart is also joining the cast. The blonde socialite runs a site called ­boobsandloubs.com.

She jetsets to party in Vegas.

She's also super into her dogs.

Oh, and she has a boyfriend who is…

(Follow Morgan here)

THIS GUY: Real estate executive Brendan Fitzpatrick.

He lives a pretty awesome life.

He's often golfing, partying, or yachting in his pictures.

Or eating ridiculous meals.

And taking pictures of it all with his gorgeous girlfriend.

(Follow Brendan here)

But the real star of the show will be Magic Johnson’s son E.J. Johnson. His Twitter handle is @prince_ej and he is fabulous.

"Tis the season for fur!"

"Just call me Scarlett cause I'm gone with the wind huney!"

"This mug is beat."

"Bad bitches take it to the face! #domperignon #champagne #goinghard #chic #sttropez #france #yachtlife #badbitches #magnum #teamthis"

"Snatched the zanottis for summer yachting bitches!"

TV insiders told The Post that the new show is set up to be a successor to E!'s "Keeping up with the Kardashians" as a "sexier" show. It will premiere in January 2014.

And if you really, really can't wait, don't worry: You can currently pre-order "Rich Kids of Instagram: A Novel"on Amazon.

SEE ALSO: Check Out The Best Of The Rich Kids Of Instagram

Join the conversation about this story »

New Yorkers who commute through the Bowling Green Station in Manhattan have some heart-racing new photographs to look at.

Seven large-scale images shot by photographer Navid Baraty of Manhattan streets are now on display at the downtown NYC subway station. The exhibit is the latest installation from the MTA Arts for Transit and Urban Design, curates art exhibitions within New York's public transportation system four times a year.

The photos are from the engineer-turned-photographer's series "Intersection," a collection of 25 photographs shot from above that he has been working on for the past two years since moving to New York.

In case you thought Baraty was a helicopter pilot or window washer, all the photographs were created by him fearlessly leaning over the edges of skyscraper rooftops.

"I started the 'Intersection' series in NYC as a way to really showcase the heart of the city," Baraty told Business Insider. "After seeing countless skyline photos of NYC, I found that the real life of the city can best be captured by pointing the lens straight down from high above."

The MTA found his work online, and contacted Baraty to ask if they could show his work at the station. The photographer happily acquiesced.

"You feel the energy and flow of the city — the constant stream of yellow taxis lining the avenues, the waves of pedestrians hurriedly crossing at the change of traffic signals, little figures disappearing into the subway stations, the chorus of honking horns and sirens," Barty said of his work.

The photographer also says he enjoys returning to the rooftops at night: "The feeling of the city from above completely changes from daytime through twilight and into darkness."

You can see even more of the amazing images over at Navid Baraty's website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

DON'T MISS: The Best New Skyscrapers On Earth

Join the conversation about this story »

Instagram Direct, the new photo messaging service within the Instagram app, has been active for one day and companies are already using it to talk to people. 

The Telegraph writes that the Gap took advantage of it last night as part of a contest.

Gap asked the first 15 commenters on a photo to send in pictures of their outfits to the company's inbox. Gap was the only viewer of these photos. Once the selection process was completed, the retailer sent the winners a tablet case made of denim.

Hyatt Hotels sent messages out to their followers last night as well. The image contains the social media team wishing the hotel chain's loyal followers happy holidays.

Keep in mind this is different than the new sponsored photos you now see in Instagram. These aren't ads, but brands using Instagram's new tool to reach out directly to customers.

Join the conversation about this story »

Cameron Diaz just picked up a chic condo in Walker Tower in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood for $9 million, Trulia reports. 

Diaz's new pad on West 18th Street has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a home office and Southeast views of the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower.

The 3,022-square foot residence also boasts in-unit laundry, a built-in humidification system and an ultra-quiet central air conditioning system.

Check out Cameron's new digs:

The kitchen has a wine cooler, speed oven and built-in coffee maker.

The condo has 3.5 bathrooms.

Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom.

Here's a view of the master bedroom. 

SEE ALSO: HOUSE OF THE DAY: Ethan Hawke Lists Colorful Chelsea Townhouse For $6.25 Million

Join the conversation about this story »

America's Health Rankings— an annual report released by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention — just announced the healthiest and least healthy states in America.

This year's unhealthiest state was Mississippi, which is known for having some the highest rates in the nation for physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes, as well as infectious diseases such as chlamydia and salmonella.

The healthiest state was Hawaii, which has seen a large decrease in the number of people who smoke and the amount of violent crime.

The annual report also made a map of the healthiest and unhealthiest states in the U.S. Basically, the greener your state is, the healthier it is, while those in the navy blue territory should start working a little more on their fitness.

See the full list of healthiest U.S. states here >>

See the full list of unhealthiest U.S. states here >>

DON'T MISS: The 10 Happiest And Healthiest Cities In America

Join the conversation about this story »

Whether we want to admit it or not, technology is changing every single part of our lives in the 21st century. 

One particular area that's been impacted by this is our relationships. Online dating, considered to be an ugly term a long at first, has now has been redeemed with the creation of apps like OKCupid, Tinder, and Grindr.

Sparks and Honey, in collaboration with the Museum of Sex, have made an excellent deck explaining this evolution and where it could go in the future.

Let's start with apps. Programs like Lulu and Tinder have leveled out the playing field.

The services recognize compatible qualities on a very deep level. Now, there are apps to satisfy everyone's specific needs.

Also, we love instant gratification. For Tinder, the method of swiping left and right reduces the terrifying prospect of getting rejected in person.

Besides being a great place for strong coffee and well-groomed beards, Portland, OR is growing quickly as a startup hub.

In the first quarter of this year, Oregon even overtook Washington in terms of venture capital investing for the first time since 1993.

Besides huge, established companies like Intel, Microsoft, IBM and eBay (which all have offices in Portland), the city is churning out a wealth of interesting startups. 

"Portland tends to excel at platform plays, rather than consumer-facing companies,"Rick Turoczy, cofounder of a major Portland tech incubator, told Business Insider. "So while our companies aren’t generally household names, they’re often behind the scenes working their magic for some of the most well-known companies in the world."

Puppet Labs develops large-scale automation software.

According to Inc. Magazine's 2013 list of the 500 fastest growing companies, Puppet Labs grew 2,975% in the past three years.

It helps companies automate configuration management and infrastructure, which lets them cut costs and scale more effectively.

Some of the company's big name customers: Sony, Starbucks, HBO, Barnes and Noble, and the U.S. Federal Reserve System. 

The Clymb not only sells outdoor gear, but also deals on amazing trips, too.

The Clymb, a company that sells outdoor gear and adventure travel packages, is oh-so Portland, and oh-so cool. 

On The Clymb's community-based website (you need an invitation to join) you can buy name-brand outdoor accessories at enormous discounts. Plus, the site sells "human-powered" trips (like kayacking in Alaska or mountain biking through Ecudaor). 

It was voted one of Outdoor Magazine's best places to work in 2012 and 2013. 

Simple is a web-based bank that makes handling your money a breeze.

Simple started when CEO Josh Reich realized that too often banks make money by keeping customers confused. 

So he swore that his online-only banking system, Simple, would never blast users with surprise fees and would make make it easier for users to set goals, save money, and track their spending. 

Simple launched in 2012 and by and had processed more than $1 billion in transactions by summer 2013.

Whether it's the management, sweet perks, or endless opportunities, some companies just know how to make their employees happy.

Job community site Glassdoor released its annual Employees’ Choice Award, which measures employee satisfaction on a scale of one to five, as well as their overall experience at the companies.

Employees were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their company, CEO, career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, senior management, work-life balance, and whether they would recommend the company to a friend.

Glassdoor's list, which is solely based on employee reviews and feedback, ranks the top 50 companies to work for in 2014. Here, we've highlighted the top 25.

After falling from the top spot last year, consulting firm Bain & Company this year reclaims the No. 1 ranking it landed on the 2012 list. Meanwhile, Facebook fell from first place last year to No. 5 this year.

Out of the 50 companies that made the list, seven have consistently ranked as great places to work since Glassdoor first compiled the list in 2009. They are Bain & Company, Google, Chevron, Qualcomm, National Instruments, Apple, and CareerBuilder.

There are also 17 newcomers to Glassdoor's list, including Twitter, Disney, and Chick-fil-A.

25. Genentech

CEO: Ian T. Clark

Employee satisfaction rating: 3.7

What employees think: “Great co-workers, nearly unlimited resources, many opportunities for scientific collaboration and to learn new technical skills, excellent company to develop your early career as a scientist.” —Genentech Employee (South San Francisco, CA)

Source: Glassdoor

24. Cameron International

CEO: Jack Moore

Employee satisfaction rating: 3.7

What employees think: “Cameron demonstrates that they care about every employee. Cameron also has a nearly endless opportunity for learning and mobility within the company. They are focused on the employee’s career and give plenty of opportunity for growth.” —Cameron International Engineer II (Houston, TX)

Source: Glassdoor

23. Red Hat

CEO: Jim Whitehurst

Employee satisfactionrating: 3.9 

What employees think: “Transparent work environment; very talented and hard working workforce; strong culture; employees care about company success; approachable leadership team; minimal politics.” —Red Hat Manager (Raleigh, NC) 

Source: Glassdoor

Gold looks like it is on its way to its first annual drop in 13 years.

This is bad news for central banks that have been diversifying their foreign reserves to include gold, but at a slower pace than in 2012. 

A new report from the World Gold Council showed that year-to-date central bank gold reserves increased by nearly 300 tonnes.

Global official gold holdings totaled 31,913.5 tonnes as of December 2013, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council.

We pulled the numbers on the 10 biggest official reserves.

Note: CBGA refers to the Central Bank Gold Agreements. The first Agreement (CBGA 1) ran from September 27, 1999 to September 26, 2004.  The second Agreement (CBGA 2) ran from September 27, 2004 to September 26, 2009. The third Agreement (CBGA 3) will run for five years from September 2009.

10. India

Official gold holdings:
557.7 tonnes

Percent of foreign reserves in gold:
8.4%

The government has been trying to deter people from purchasing the precious metal and some like Jim Rogers attribute the price decline to lowered emerging market demand. Gold imports have been blamed for the nation's high current account deficit.  India's central bank governor Raghuram Rajan has previously said the country can pay off its debt in gold.

Source: World Gold Council

9. Netherlands

Official gold holdings:
612.5 tonnes

Percent of foreign reserves in gold:
54.0%

A large portion of the Netherlands' gold reserves are held in the U.S, and some are held in Canada and the UK. About 10% is expected to be held in Amsterdam. Earlier this year the Netherlands wanted to repatriate its gold.

Source: World Gold Council

8. Japan

Official gold holdings:
765.2 tonnes

Percent of foreign reserves in gold:
2.6%

Japan's gold reserves were at just 6 tonnes in 1950, and its central bank registered its first serious jump in gold holdings in 1959, with purchases increasing by 169 tonnes from the previous year.

In 2011, the Bank of Japan sold gold to pump ¥20 trillion into the economy to calm investors after the tsunami and nuclear disaster.

Source: World Gold Council

Need an idea for a Christmas gift? There's so much to choose from, especially for tech lovers. Check out Wired's hand-picked list of gorgeous products that you can buy for friends and family, but will want to keep for yourself. 

Click here to see the products >>

More from Wired:

13 of the Year’s Best Infographics 

How to Make Star Wars Snowflakes With Papers, Scissors, and Force

The 13 Best Movies You Didn’t See in 2013

16 Gifts Every Music Freak Will Love

Twitter Founder Reveals Secret Formula for Getting Rich Online

The Best Map Ever Made of America’s Racial Segregation

Doodles in the Third Dimension

Sometimes two-dimensional scribbles just won't cut it. Make yours pop off the page with this cleverly designed compass that lets you draw with both red and blue pencils simultaneously. Use the included specs to give you all the joys of 3-D without the Michael Bay crash-bang overload.

NPW 3-D Doodle Kit| $10

Beautiful Bones

White dots on black tiles is the traditional domino look, but Fredericks & Mae decided it was time for a maritime makeover. Silk-screen nautical flags grace the pieces, with different flags representing zero through six. The handsome wooden carrying case keeps your set shipshape. 

Fredericks & Mae Flag Dominoes| $100

Short Circuits

Ayah Bdeir wanted an easy way to teach engineering to kids. The result is littleBits, tiny electronic modules that snap together magnetically. They can be mixed and matched with household miscellanea to make everything from moving Ferris wheels to a pizza box phonograph.

littleBits Deluxe Kit| $199

Confetti, champagne, and countdowns are all standard New Year’s fare. But some cities take the celebration a step further, offering epic parties, impressive fireworks displays, and stunning light shows that continue well into the early morning.

Whether you’d prefer to dance samba on Rio’s Copacabana beach or watch the fireworks over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, these are the 16 most brilliant New Year's Eve celebrations around the world—and fodder for any traveler's bucket list.

Reveillon

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Stop by Rio’s Copacabana beach for Reveillon, one of the world’s liveliest New Year’s celebrations. Giant stages are set up along the oceanfront, and visitors can enjoy traditional dance and music performances. More than two million people dressed in white (a color said to bring good luck) gather together, drink Champagne, and dance samba while the clock strikes midnight. When the clock strikes 12, the new year begins with a colorful fireworks display over the ocean.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Rio de Janeiro Guide

RELATED: 10 Best National Parks To Visit This Winter

Times Square

Where: New York City

This iconic city is synonymous with New Year’s Eve, as millions of people from around the world gather to watch the ball drop. Visitors are treated to a spectacular pyrotechnic light shows and celebrity music acts while awaiting the final countdown. Shimmering confetti is released at midnight, and fireworks sparkle in the night sky.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's New York City Guide

RELATED: 15 Best Ice Skating Rinks In The U.S.

Hogmanay

Where: Edinburgh, Scotland

For one of the biggest New Year’s street parties in the world, look no further than Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. The four-day celebration culminates in a street party with a fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle. Torchlight processions, candlelit concerts, and Scottish folk dancing are just a few of the main attractions.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Edinburgh Guide

Sydney

Where: Sydney, Australia

Visitors can take in the world’s biggest fireworks display at Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Also known as the “New Year’s Eve Capital of the World,” the city offers traditional ceremonies, aerial acrobatics, and a stunning light parade. Once the clock strikes midnight, seven tons of fireworks are released, lighting up Sydney Harbour Bridge and the surrounding buildings.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Sydney Guide

RELATED: 7 Affordable Destinations For 2013

Champs-Elysees

Where: Paris, France

Parisians celebrate the Nouvelle Année in style. The City of Light features a dazzling light show and fireworks display and has a giant street party around the Champs-Elysees. Visitors pop bottles of Champagne and exchange papillotes (chocolates encased in sparkly paper that crackle when you open them). Midnight brings a spectacular lights display from the Eiffel Tower, plenty of cheek-to-cheek kissing, and well-wishes for the New Year.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Paris Guide

Thames River

Where: London, England  

Every year at New Year’s, visitors gather around the Thames for the city’s fireworks display. Fireworks are launched from the London Eye, a giant, Ferris Wheel-like attraction with enclosed, bubble-shaped cars. Guests can take in the bright lights near the water, or watch the event from screens in Trafalgar and Parliament squares.  

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's London Guide

RELATED: 10 Classic Film Locations Around The World

Grand Ball

Where: Vienna, Austria

Some cities take to the streets to celebrate New Year’s — Vienna takes to the ballroom. The city’s "Grand Ball" is hosted at Hofburg Palace, and features classical music, ballet performances, and a four-course gala dinner. Midnight festivities include a fireworks display and a traditional Blue Danube Waltz.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Vienna Guide

RELATED: 10 Best Airports To Get Stuck In

Yarra Park

Where: Melbourne, Australia

Families will enjoy ringing in the New Year at Melbourne’s Yarra Park. The Park hosts an array of free activities, including a New Year gift exchange, dress-up station, face-painting, and a community art installation. Children and their parents can also take in a colorful midnight fireworks display from central Melbourne and the Victoria Harbour.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Melbourne Guide

Keep reading for more great New Year's celebrations around the world >

SEE ALSO: The 9 Best Ski Resorts You Can Visit This Winter

Join the conversation about this story »

An insanely beautiful mansion on New York's Upper East Side has just been listed for $114 million, according to The New York Times.

The six-level property has 20,000 square feet of living space, in addition to 2,500 square feet of outdoor space, which includes a roof deck with sweeping views of Central Park and the city.

The 69th Street home was built in 1884, and bought by investor Vincent Viola and his wife Teresa, the president of Maida Vale Designs,for $20 million in 2005. They gut-renovated the townhouse to create the extravagant residence it is today.

And now they're flipping it for a whopping $114,077,000.

And if the amenities are any indication, it's totally worth it. According to Corcoran Group, which is selling the home, the mansion has a saltwater pool with spa, panic room, heated stairs and floors in the parlor, plus a brick pizza oven in the kitchen.

There's even an onyx elevator. You have to see this house to believe it.

Welcome to the $114 million mansion on the Upper East Side. It's on 69th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues.

Source: The New York Times

The sidewalk, outside staircase, and floors in the foyer are all heated, which sounds amazing for New York winters.

Source: The New York Times

The home is 40 feet wide, and ceilings heights range from 12 to 34 feet.

Source: The New York Times