Miss World is one of the oldest and most prestigious beauty pageants in the world, founded in 1951 by Eric Morley in the United Kingdom. The inaugural event was part of the Festival of Britain, aimed at promoting British tourism. Kiki Håkansson from Sweden became the first Miss World, winning in a bikini—a decision that sparked controversy and led to a temporary ban on bikinis in the competition.
The pageant quickly grew in popularity, becoming a major televised event by the late 1950s. The BBC began broadcasting the event in 1959, significantly increasing its visibility and viewership. Throughout the decades, Miss World has expanded its scope beyond beauty, incorporating elements such as talent, intelligence, and humanitarian efforts through the “Beauty with a Purpose” initiative introduced in the 1980s.
Miss World has been a platform for women from diverse backgrounds to showcase their beauty and intelligence while promoting charitable causes. It has also been a launchpad for many winners into successful careers in various fields, including entertainment, modeling, and public service.
Today, Miss World continues to celebrate beauty, culture, and philanthropy, maintaining its relevance and prestige in the ever-evolving landscape of global beauty pageants. so this is the list of Miss world since .
1950s: The Early Days
- 1951: Kiki Håkansson from Sweden was the first Miss World. She won in a bikini, sparking controversy.
- 1952: May-Louise Flodin, also from Sweden, took the crown.
- 1953: Denise Perrier from France won.
- 1954: Antigone Costanda from Egypt was the first African winner.
- 1955: Susana Duijm from Venezuela won.
- 1956: Petra Schürmann from Germany took the title.
- 1957: Marita Lindahl from Finland won.
- 1958: Penelope Coelen from South Africa was crowned.
- 1959: Corine Rottschäfer from the Netherlands won.
1960s: Expanding Influence
- 1960: Norma Cappagli from Argentina won.
- 1961: Rosemarie Frankland from the UK took the crown.
- 1962: Catharina Lodders from the Netherlands won.
- 1963: Carole Joan Crawford from Jamaica was crowned.
- 1964: Ann Sidney from the UK won.
- 1965: Lesley Langley from the UK took the title.
- 1966: Reita Faria from India was the first Asian winner.
- 1967: Madeleine Hartog-Bel from Peru won.
- 1968: Penelope Plummer from Australia was crowned.
- 1969: Eva Rueber-Staier from Austria won.
1970s: Growing Popularity
- 1970: Jennifer Hosten from Grenada won amidst protests.
- 1971: Lúcia Petterle from Brazil took the crown.
- 1972: Belinda Green from Australia won.
- 1973: Marjorie Wallace from the USA was crowned but later dethroned.
- 1974: Anneline Kriel from South Africa assumed the title after Helen Morgan from the UK resigned.
- 1975: Wilnelia Merced from Puerto Rico won.
- 1976: Cindy Breakspeare from Jamaica was crowned.
- 1977: Mary Stävin from Sweden won.
- 1978: Silvana Suárez from Argentina took the title.
- 1979: Gina Swainson from Bermuda won.
1980s: Changing Times
- 1980: Gabriella Brum from Germany won but resigned; Kimberley Santos from Guam assumed the title.
- 1981: Pilín León from Venezuela won.
- 1982: Mariasela Álvarez from the Dominican Republic was crowned.
- 1983: Sarah-Jane Hutt from the UK won.
- 1984: Astrid Carolina Herrera from Venezuela took the title.
- 1985: Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir from Iceland won.
- 1986: Giselle Laronde from Trinidad and Tobago was crowned.
- 1987: Ulla Weigerstorfer from Austria won.
- 1988: Linda Pétursdóttir from Iceland took the title.
- 1989: Aneta Kręglicka from Poland won.
1990s: A Global Platform
- 1990: Gina Tolleson from the USA won.
- 1991: Ninibeth Leal from Venezuela was crowned.
- 1992: Julia Kourotchkina from Russia won.
- 1993: Lisa Hanna from Jamaica took the title.
- 1994: Aishwarya Rai from India won.
- 1995: Jacqueline Aguilera from Venezuela was crowned.
- 1996: Irene Skliva from Greece won.
- 1997: Diana Hayden from India took the title.
- 1998: Linor Abargil from Israel won.
- 1999: Yukta Mookhey from India was crowned.
2000s: Embracing “Beauty with a Purpose”
- 2000: Priyanka Chopra from India won.
- 2001: Agbani Darego from Nigeria was crowned.
- 2002: Azra Akin from Turkey won.
- 2003: Rosanna Davison from Ireland took the title.
- 2004: María Julia Mantilla from Peru won.
- 2005: Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir from Iceland was crowned.
- 2006: Taťána Kuchařová from the Czech Republic won.
- 2007: Zhang Zilin from China took the title.
- 2008: Ksenia Sukhinova from Russia was crowned.
- 2009: Kaiane Aldorino from Gibraltar won.
2010s: New Milestones
- 2010: Alexandria Mills from the USA won.
- 2011: Ivian Sarcos from Venezuela was crowned.
- 2012: Yu Wenxia from China took the title.
- 2013: Megan Young from the Philippines won.
- 2014: Rolene Strauss from South Africa was crowned.
- 2015: Mireia Lalaguna from Spain won.
- 2016: Stephanie Del Valle from Puerto Rico took the title.
- 2017: Manushi Chhillar from India won.
- 2018: Vanessa Ponce from Mexico was crowned.
- 2019: Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica won.
2020s: Continued Legacy
- 2020: The event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Karolina Bielawska from Poland won.
- 2022: Karolina Bielawska from Poland was crowned again.
- 2023: Krystyna Pyszková from the Czech Republic took the title.
