Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by

Eric Morley Eric Douglas Morley (26 September 1918 – 9 November 2000) was an English television host and the founder of the Miss World pageant and ''Come Dancing'' programme. His widow, Julia Morley, is now head of the pageant and his son, Steve Douglas, ...

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

. Since his death in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, Morley's widow,

Julia Morley Julia Evelyn Morley (née Pritchard; born 25 October 1939) is an English businesswoman, charity worker and former model. She is the chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organization, which organizes the Miss World and Mister World pageants. She ...

, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

Miss International Miss International (''Miss International Beauty'' or ''The International Beauty Pageant'') is a Japan-based international major beauty pageant organized by the International Culture Association. First held in 1960, it is the fourth largest page ...

, and

Miss Earth Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one ...

, it is one of the

Big Four beauty pageants The Big Four or the Big League Pageants refers to the four major international beauty pageants for women — Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth. The group was first described by the ''China Daily'' newspaper in 20 ...

. The current Miss World is

Suchata Chuangsri Suchata Chuangsri (; born 20 September 2003), also known by the Thai nickname Opal (), is a Thai beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2025. She is the first Thai woman to win Miss World. Suchata was previously crowned as Miss U ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

who was crowned on 31 May 2025 in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, India.

History

20th century

In 1951

organised a

bikini contest A swimsuit competition, more commonly now called a bikini contest, is a beauty pageant, beauty contest which is judged and ranked while contestants wear a swimsuit, typically a bikini. One of the judging criteria is the physical attractiveness of t ...

as part of the

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Labour Party cabinet member Herbert Morrison was the prime mover; in 1947 he started with the ...

celebrations that he called the Festival Bikini Contest. The event was popular with the press, which dubbed it "Miss World". The

swimsuit competition A swimsuit competition, more commonly now called a bikini contest, is a beauty contest which is judged and ranked while contestants wear a swimsuit, typically a bikini. One of the judging criteria is the physical attractiveness of the contestants ...

was intended as a promotion for the

bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...

, which had only recently been introduced to the market and was still widely regarded as immodest. When the 1951 Miss World pageant winner, Kerstin "Kiki" Hakansson from Sweden, was crowned in a bikini, it added to the controversy. The pageant was originally planned as a Pageant for the Festival of Britain, but Morley decided to make the Miss World pageant annual. He registered the "Miss World" name as a trademark, and all future pageants were held under that name. But because of the controversy arising from Håkansson's crowning in a bikini, countries with religious traditions threatened not to send delegates to future events, and the bikini was condemned by

the Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

. Objection to the bikini led to its replacement in all future pageants with more modest swimwear, and from 1976 swimsuits were replaced by

evening gown An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from Ballerina skirt, ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), Tea length, tea (above the ankles), to Skirt length, full-length. S ...

s for the crowning. Håkansson remains the only Miss World crowned in a bikini. In Miss World 2013 all participants wore a

one-piece swimsuit A one-piece swimsuit most commonly refers to swimwear worn primarily by women and girls when swimming in the sea or in a swimming pool, playing water polo, or for any activity in the sun, such as sun bathing. Today, the one-piece swimsuit is usua ...

plus a traditional

sarong A sarong or a sarung (, ) is a large tube or length of textile, fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often ...

below the waist as a compromise with local culture. Morley announced the Miss World winners in the order No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1. This was intended to keep the tension up, and avoid the anticlimax if Nos. 2 and 3 are announced after the winner. In 1959 the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

began to broadcast the pageant. Its popularity grew with the advent of television. During the 1960s and 1970s, Miss World was among the most watched programs of the year on British television. In 1970, the contest in London was disrupted by women's liberation protesters armed with flour bombs, stink bombs, and water pistols loaded with ink. The 1970 contest was also controversial when South Africa sent two contestants (one black and one white). Henceforth, South Africa was banned from the contest until

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

was abolished. More than 18 million people watched the pageant at its peak during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1980s the pageant repositioned itself with the

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...

"Beauty With a Purpose", with added tests of

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...

and

personality Personality is any person's collection of interrelated behavioral, cognitive, and emotional patterns that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life. These interrelated patterns are relatively stable, but can change over long time per ...

. In 1984,

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

controller

Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth (born 8 March 1943) is an English Media proprietor, television executive and businessman. He has held a number of senior roles in television, including controller of BBC1 (1984–1986), chief executive ...

announced that the corporation would cease to broadcast beauty pageants the next January, after it had shown

Miss Great Britain Miss Great Britain is a national beauty contest held annually in Britain since 1945. It is Britain's longest-running beauty pageant. History Following World War Two, a number of seaside resorts around the United Kingdom introduced beauty cont ...

, saying, "I believe these contests no longer merit national air time." He added, "They are an anachronism in this day and age of equality and verging on the offensive."

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

broadcast Miss World between 1980 and 1988, when ITV dropped it. During the early 1990s mainstream television broadcasts of the event declined in popularity after it became "increasingly unfashionable" in the late 1980s. The pageant returned on satellite channel

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

in 1997, before moving to Channel 5 for three years (1998–2000). Eric Morley died in 2000, and his wife, Julia, succeeded him as chair of the Miss World organisation.

21st century

The first black African Miss World winner,

Agbani Darego Chief Ibiagbanidokibubo Asenite 'Agbani' Darego, MFR (born 22 December 1982) is a Nigerian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2001. She was the first black African to win Miss World. Early life Abonnema-native Darego was born i ...

of Nigeria, was crowned in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

. As part of its marketing strategy, Miss World came up with a "Vote For Me" television special during that edition, featuring the delegates behind the scenes and on the beach, and allowing viewers to phone in or vote online for their favourites. It also sells broadcasters its Talent, Beach Beauty and Sports events as television specials. ITV broadcast the 2001 pageant from South Africa on digital channel

ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...

, with the special airing a week earlier on the main ITV channel. In

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, the pageant was slated to host its final in

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

, Nigeria. This choice was controversial, as a northern Nigerian woman,

Amina Lawal Amina Lawal Kurami (born 1972) is a Nigerian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery and for conceiving a child out of wedlock. Lawal was sentenced by an Islamic Sharia court in Funtua, in the northern state of Katsina, in Nigeria, o ...

, was awaiting death by

stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient times. Stoning appears t ...

for

adultery Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...

under

Sharia Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on Islamic holy books, scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran, Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' ...

law there, but Miss World used the publicity surrounding its presence to bring greater global awareness and action to Lawal's plight. No British channel agreed to broadcast the event, and there were objections to the contest. Former Miss World

Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...

attended the

Miss World 2014 Miss World 2014 was the 64th edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the ExCeL London in London, United Kingdom, on 14 December 2014. Megan Young of the Philippines crowned Rolene Strauss of South Africa as her successor at the end of t ...

ceremony with her husband

Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan (; born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. From 2012 to 2016, Bachchan appeared in ...

, daughter Aaradhya and mother Brinda Rai. The pageant has been broadcast on local TV channel London Live since 2014.

Miss World Organization

The Miss World Organization owns and manages the annual Miss World Finals, a competition that has grown into one of the world's biggest. Since its launch in 1951, the Miss World organisation has raised more than £1 billion for children's charities that help disabled and underprivileged children. Miss World is franchised in more than 100 countries.

1970s–1990s

The Miss World pageant has been the target of many controversies since its inception. * In

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...

, feminist protesters threw flour bombs during the live event at London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, momentarily alarming the host,

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

. * The

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

winner,

Marjorie Wallace Marjorie Wallace (born January 23, 1954) is an American actress, television host, model and beauty queen. In Miss World 1973, 1973, she made history as the first woman from the United States to be crowned Miss World, but just 104 days later, pa ...

, was stripped of her title on 8 March 1974 because she had failed to fulfill the basic requirements of the job. Miss World's organizers did not elect someone to serve in her place. * In

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

, several countries boycotted the pageant because it included both a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and a

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

contestant from South Africa. South Africa competed for the last time in 1977, before returning in 1991 as

disintegrated. * The

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

winner, Gabriella Brum of Germany, resigned one day after winning, initially claiming her boyfriend disapproved. A few days later it emerged that she had been forced to resign after it was discovered that she had posed naked for a magazine.

Nigeria 2002

In the year leading up the finals in Nigeria, several European title holders lobbied their governments and the EU parliament to support

's cause. A number of contestants followed the lead of

Kathrine Sørland Kathrine Sørland (born 25 March 1980) is a Norwegian fashion model, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder who has competed at Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants. Beauty pageants Sørland won the Frøken Norge (Miss Norway) competiti ...

of Norway in boycotting the contest (despite the controversy, Sørland became a semi-finalist in both the Miss World and Miss Universe contests), while others, such as Costa Rica, were instructed by their national governments and parliaments not to attend. Among the other boycotting nations were Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Panama, Belgium and Kenya. There was further controversy over the possibly suspended participation of France and South Africa, which might or might not have been due to the boycott. Lawal asked that contestants not suspend their participation in the contest, saying that it was for the good of her country and that they could, as the representative of Sweden had earlier remarked, make a much stronger case for her on the ground in Nigeria. Despite the increasing international profile the boycott was garnering in the world press, the contest proceeded in Nigeria after being rescheduled to avoid taking place during Ramadan, with many prominent nations sending delegates. Osmel Sousa of Venezuela, one of the world's most influential national directors, said, "there is no question about it he participation of Miss Venezuela in the contest" But the trouble did not end there. A ''ThisDay'' (

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, Nigeria) newspaper editorial suggesting that

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

would probably have chosen one of his wives from among the contestants had he been alive to see it resulted in inter-religious riots that started on 22 November in which over 200 people were killed in the city of

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern state ...

and many houses of worship were burned by religious zealots. Because of these riots, the 2002 pageant was moved to London, following widely circulated reports that Canada's and Korea's representatives had withdrawn from the contest and returned to their respective countries out of safety concerns. A

fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...

urging the beheading of the woman who wrote the offending words,

Isioma Daniel Isioma Nkemdilim Nkiruka Daniel (born 1981) is a Nigerian journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad sparked the Miss World riots and caused a fatwa to be issued on her life. She ultimately had to flee ...

, was issued in Nigeria, but was declared null and void by the relevant Saudi Arabian authorities. Upon the pageant's return to Britain, many of the boycotting contestants chose to attend, including Miss Norway, Kathrine Sørland, who was ironically tipped in the last few days as the favourite for the crown she had previously boycotted. The eventual winner of the pageant was

Azra Akın Azra Akın (born 8 December 1981) is a Turkish-Dutch actress, dancer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2002 in London on 7 December 2002. She is best known for series ''Yağmur Zamanı.'' Biography Akın was born in Almelo, Ne ...

of Turkey, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since Egypt in 1954.

Indonesia 2013

In Miss World 2013, protests by Islamic groups began a few weeks before the contest began, resulting in the pageant's finale and all pre-pageant activities being isolated to Hindu-majority

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

China 2015

Anastasia Lin,

Miss World Canada Miss World Canada is a national Beauty pageant in Canada held annually in different incarnations since 1957 to select representative to the Miss World contest. In 2017 MTC-W Inc. obtained the exclusive rights to send the Canadian representative t ...

, was not given a visa to travel in China and hence missed the official deadline of 20 November 2015 for entry to the 2015 pageant, and was declared ''

persona non grata In diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...

'' by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa for openly criticizing China's human rights violations. The Miss World Organization later allowed her to compete at Miss World 2016.

Thailand 2020 and cancellation

After the 2019 pageant, the organization chose Thailand as the host country of Miss World 2020, to be held in

Phuket Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...

. But due to the spread of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, most national organizations and the Miss World organization agreed to cancel the 2020 pageant to assure the delegates' safety.

Puerto Rico 2021 and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The edition was originally scheduled for the end of 2020 but postponed indefinitely due to the global

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On 8 March 2021, the date was set for 16 December 2021. The threat of the

Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a Variants of SARS-CoV-2, variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has ...

had already been detected in some parts of the world during the pre-pageant activities, as the disease started swept across the island. On 14 December, Miss World Indonesia Carla Yules tested positive for COVID-19. As a precaution, her roommate Miss World India Manasa Varanasi and five others were classified as suspected cases. Miss World Organization chair

confirmed that the delegates were isolated and quarantined and would not be onstage for the final show if they did not produce a negative PCR test. On 15 December, the

Puerto Rico Department of Health The Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) () is one of the Cabinet-level agencies directly created by Article 4, Section 6 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. It is headed by a Secretary of Health, appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico and ...

confirmed 17 positive cases for COVID-19 related to the Miss World pageant activities, including contestants and technical personnel. On 16 December, it was announced that Miss World Malaysia Lavanya Sivaji had tested positive for COVID-19. She was required to be isolated for 10 days and not permitted onstage during the finals. The finale, originally slated for 16 December, was postponed. During a 16 December Puerto Rico Department of Health press conference, epidemiologist Melissa Marzán confirmed 15 staff and 23 contestant positive cases associated with Miss World. She added that pageant organizers, not the island's authorities, decided to postpone. The rescheduled 70th Miss World pageant took place on 16 March 2022, at

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Coca-Cola Music Hall The Coca-Cola Music Hall is a live-music venue located in the neighborhood of Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico, managed by ASM Global. The Coca-Cola Music Hall is part of the T-Mobile District development at the Puerto Rico Convention Dist ...

Recent titleholders

Winners gallery

Opal Suchata in Nov 24 (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2025

Thailand Krystyna Pyszková (cropped).png, Miss World 2023

Krystyna Pyszková Krystyna Pyszková (; born 19 January 1999) is a Czech model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2024. She was previously crowned Miss Czech Republic 2022 and is the second Czech woman to win Miss World. Early life and e ...

Czech Republic Karolina Bielawska P3202042 (52230263929).jpg, Miss World 2021

Karolina Bielawska Karolina Bielawska (born 11 April 1999) is a Polish beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2021. Personal life Bielawska was born in Łódź. She is a business student with a bachelor's degree in management and she is studying ...

Poland File:Toni Ann-Singh Miss World 2019.jpg, Miss World 2019

Toni-Ann Singh Toni-Ann Singh (born February 1, 1996) is a Jamaican beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss World 2019 and is the fourth woman from Jamaica to win Miss World. She is also the longest-reigning Miss World in the history of the pageant. She was pr ...

Jamaica File:Miss Mexico, Vanessa Ponce in 2018.jpg, Miss World 2018

Vanessa Ponce Silvia Vanessa Ponce de León Sánchez (born 7 March 1992), known simply as Vanessa Ponce, is a Mexican model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2018. She is the first Mexican to be crowned as Miss World. In the history of the Miss Worl ...

Mexico File:Manushi-Chhillar snapped at a press meet in St. Regis, Mumbai (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2017

Manushi Chhillar Manushi Chhillar (born 14 May 1997) is an Indian actress, model and the winner of Miss World 2017 pageant. She represented her state of Haryana at the Femina Miss India 2017 pageant and won the title of Femina Miss India, Femina Miss India Wor ...

India File:Miss World 2016 (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2016

Stephanie Del Valle Stephanie del Valle Díaz (born December 30, 1996) is a Puerto Rican musician, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2016. She became the second contestant from Puerto Rico to win the Miss World title, after Wilnelia Merced in 19 ...

Puerto Rico File:Mireia Lalaguna (48520628511) (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2015

Mireia Lalaguna Mireia Lalaguna Royo (born 21 November 1992) is a Spanish actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2015, becoming the first woman from Spain to win Miss World. She was previously crowned Miss World Spain 2015. Early life and ...

Spain File:Rolene Strauss at the annual Citron Polo event, 2018.jpg, Miss World 2014

Rolene Strauss Rolene Strauss (born 22 April 1992) is a South African beauty queen who won Miss South Africa 2014 and was later crowned Miss World 2014. She is the third South African woman to be crowned Miss World, after Penelope Anne Coelen in 1958 and A ...

South Africa File:Miss World 2013 Megan Young (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2013

Megan Young Megan Lynne Talde Young-Daez (; née Young; born February 27, 1990) is a Filipino actress and beauty queen, who won Miss World Philippines 2013 title and was later crowned Miss World 2013. She is the first delegate from the Philippines and So ...

Philippines File:Yu Wenxia in Mumbai Airport.jpg, Miss World 2012

Yu Wenxia Yu Wenxia ( zh, s=于文霞, t=于文霞, p=Yú Wénxiá; born 5 July 1989) is a Chinese actress, tv host, singer, model and beauty queen who won Miss World 2012 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, the second Chinese national to do so after Zhang Zi ...

China File:Ivian sar. (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2011

Ivian Sarcos Ivian Sarcos (born July 26, 1989) is a Venezuelan model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2011 on November 6, 2011, in London, United Kingdom. Sarcos is the sixth woman from Venezuela to win Miss World. Early life Ivian was a diplomac ...

Venezuela File:Alexandria Mills at Robley Rex VAMC.jpg, Miss World 2010

Alexandria Mills Alexandria Nichole Mills (born February 26, 1992) is an American model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2010 on October 30, 2010, in Sanya, China. Mills is the third woman from the United States to win Miss World. Early life Mills, ...

United States File:31 mayo II Jornada y Clausura XVII Juegos del Estrecho.jpg, Miss World 2009

Kaiane Aldorino Kaiane Loise Aldorino Lopez, GMH (née Aldorino; born 8 July 1986) is a Gibraltarian politician and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2009. From 2017 to 2019, she held the ceremonial position of Mayor of Gibraltar, after ...

Gibraltar File:MissWorld 2008 (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2008

Ksenia Sukhinova Ksenia Vladimirovna Sukhinova (; born 26 August 1987) is a Russians, Russian TV host, model and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2008. She was the second Russian woman to be crowned Miss World, and had previously bee ...

Russia File:Miss World 2007 - Zhang Zilin (3243539382) (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2007

Zhang Zilin Zhang Zilin (, born 22 March 1984) is a Chinese actress, singer, fashion model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2007; she was previously crowned Miss China World, Miss China World 2007. Biography Zhang was born in Weihai, Shandong, o ...

China File:Taťána Gregor Brzobohatá (2018).jpg, Miss World 2006

Taťána Kuchařová Taťána Kuchařová, formerly Taťána Gregor Brzobohatá (; born 23 December 1987) is a Czech model and beauty queen who won the title of Miss Czech Republic and Miss World 2006. In doing so, she made history to become the first woman from th ...

Czech Republic File:MajuMantillaHuanchaco (cropped).jpg, Miss World 2004

María Julia Mantilla María Julia "Maju" Mantilla García (born 10 July 1984) is a Peruvian actress, dancer, model, teacher and beauty queen who won Miss World 2004 in China. Early life Born in Trujillo, Peru, Trujillo, Mantilla is the youngest of the seven sons o ...

Peru File:2016-02-01 Rosanna Davison.jpg, Miss World 2003
Rosanna Davison
Ireland File:Azra Akın (2004).jpg, Miss World 2002

Azra Akin Azra may refer to: * Azra (band), a Yugoslav rock band popular in the 1980s * ''Azra'' (album), the 1980 album by the band * Azra (name), a female given name * Azra (horse) (1889–1909), American Thoroughbred racehorse * Azra District, a distric ...

Turkey File:Agbani Darego Miss World 2001.jpg, Miss World 2001

Nigeria File:Priyanka At Nikon Camera Launch.jpg, Miss World 2000

Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is India's highest-paid actress and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and fiv ...

India File:Yukta at an event in Mangiamo restaurant, Mumbai (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1999

Yukta Mookhey Yukta Inderlal Mookhey is an Indian civic activist and the winner of Miss World 1999 pageant. She is the fourth Indian woman to win Miss World and was previously crowned as Femina Miss India World in 1999. She is a former model and actress, and ...

,
India File:Linor Abargil 2021-09-05.png, Miss World 1998

Linor Abargil Linor Abargil (, sometimes spelled ''Linor Aberjil''; born February 17, 1980) is an Israeli attorney, actress, model and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1998, shortly after being raped. Since then, she has become a global advocate in the figh ...

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Israel File:Diana Hayden walks for Manish Malhotra & Shaina NC's show for CPAA 17 (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1997

Diana Hayden Diana Hayden (born 1 May 1973) is an Indian actress, television host, model and the winner of Miss World 1997 pageant. She is the third Indian woman to win the title of Miss World. She also won three sub-titles during the pageant and is the on ...

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India File:Miss Mundo 1995, Jacqueline Aguilera.jpg, Miss World 1995

Jacqueline Aguilera Jacqueline María Aguilera Marcano (born 17 November 1976 in Valencia, Carabobo) is a Venezuelan model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 1995 became the fifth woman from Venezuela to capture the Miss World crown. Former Miss World 1 ...

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Venezuela File:Rai Aishwarya.jpg, Miss World 1994

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India File:Lisa Hanna (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1993

Lisa Hanna Lisa Rene Shanti Hanna (born 20 August 1975) is a Jamaican politician and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 1993, becoming the third Jamaican to win the title. A member of the opposition People's National Party, Hanna currently serves as ...

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Jamaica File:Gina Tolleson.jpg, Miss World 1990

Gina Tolleson Gina Marie Tolleson (born March 26, 1969) is an American model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World America, Miss World America 1990 and also Miss World 1990. Miss World 1990 Gina won the title of Miss South Carolina USA 1990 and was the ...

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United States File:Mariasela Álvarez (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1982

Mariasela Álvarez Mariasela Álvarez Lebrón (born January 31, 1960 in Santo Domingo) is a Dominican Republic, Dominican architect, TV host and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 1982. She became the first Dominican woman to win an international beauty titl ...

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Dominican Republic File:Silvana Suárez.jpg, Miss World 1978
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Silvana Suárez Silvana Rosa Suárez Clarence (; 29 September 1958 – 21 October 2022) was an Argentine model and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1978 contest, representing Argentina. The pageant was held in London, United Kingdom. Suárez became the se ...

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Argentina File:Mary Stavin.jpg, Miss World 1977

Mary Stävin Mary Ann-Catrin Stävin (born 20 August 1957) is a Swedish actress, model and beauty queen. She won Miss World 1977 and appeared in the James Bond films ''Octopussy'' (1983) and ''A View to a Kill'' (1985). Early life Stävin was born in Öreb ...

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Sweden File:Jennifer Hosted, Miss Grenada as Miss World 1970.jpg, Miss World 1970

Jennifer Hosten Jennifer Hosten (born 31 October 1947) is a Grenadian radio announcer, development worker, diplomat, author, model and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1970 contest, representing Grenada. She became the first black woman and the first woman ...

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Grenada File:Bob Hope with Eva Rueber-Staier during USO tour on USS Saratoga (CVA-60) 1969 (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1969

Eva Rueber-Staier Eva Rueber-Staier (born 20 February 1951) is an Austrian actress, television host, model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1969. Biography Rueber-Staier was born on 20 February 1951 in Bruck an der Mur, Styria. She won the title of Miss Aus ...

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Austria File:Penelope Plummer (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1968
Penelope Plummer,
Australia File:Madeleine Hartog Bel (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1967
Madeline Hartog-Bel,
Peru File:Miss World 1966, Dr. Reita Faria in Africa.jpg, Miss World 1966
Reita Faria,
India File:Ann Sidney 1965.jpg, Miss World 1964

Ann Sidney Ann Sidney (born 27 March 1944) is a British actress, television host and beauty queen who won the 1964 Miss World contest representing the United Kingdom. Early life Sidney moved to Poole when very young. She went to Martin Road School in Par ...

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United Kingdom File:Rina Lodders (1963).jpg, Miss World 1962

Catharina Lodders Catharina Johanna Lodders, now Catharina EvansChubby Checker visits ...

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Netherlands File:Norma Cappagli in Argentina (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1960
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Norma Cappagli Norma Gladys Cappagli (20 September 1939 – 22 December 2020) was an Argentine model and beauty queen who won the 1960 Miss World contest, after being crowned Miss Argentina World 1960. She was the first model from Argentina to win the title. ...

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Argentina File:Corine Rottschäfer (miss World 1959).jpg, Miss World 1959
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Corine Rottschäfer Corine Spier-Rottschäfer (8 May 1938 – 24 September 2020) was a Dutch model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1959 contest, representing the Netherlands.. missworld.com She was the first woman from her country to win the title. The pagean ...

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Netherlands File:Penelope Anne Coelen, Miss South Africa.jpg, Miss World 1958

Penelope Coelen Penelope Anne Coelen (born 15 April 1940) is a South African former actress, model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1958. She was the second major international titleholder to come from Africa. Early life Penelope Anne Coelen was from Dur ...

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South Africa File:Marita Lindahl, Miss Suomi 1957 (2) (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1957
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Marita Lindahl Marita Lindahl (17 October 1938 – 21 March 2017) was a Finnish model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1957, after being crowned Miss Finland 1957 by Miss Finland 1956, Sirpa Helena Koivu. She became the first woman from Finland to win the ...

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Finland File:Miss Venezuela 1955 titleholder, Susana Duijm.jpg, Miss World 1955
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Susana Duijm Carmen Susana Duijm Zubillaga (August 11, 1936 – June 18, 2016) was a Venezuelan actress, tv host, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Venezuela 1955 and competed at Miss Universe 1955, placing in the top 15. She then went to compete a ...

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Venezuela File:Miss World 1954, Antigone Costanda (close up).jpg, Miss World 1954

Antigone Costanda Antigone Costanda (, ; born 1934) is a Cypriot-Egyptian designer, model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1954. The pageant took place on October 18, 1954, in London, England, with the participation of 16 contestants. Born in Nicosia, Cyprus, ...

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Egypt File:Miss World 1953, Denise Perrier, Frankrijk.jpg, Miss World 1953
Denise Perrier,
France File:May Louise Flodin a (cropped).jpg, Miss World 1952
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May-Louise Flodin May-Louise Flodin (5 September 1934 – 4 February 2011) was a Swedish model and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1952. She was the second winner and was crowned by her predecessor Kiki Håkansson also from Sweden.Kiki Håkansson Kerstin Margareta " Kiki" Håkansson (23 July 1929 – 4 November 2024) was a Swedish model and beauty queen who was the first winner of the Miss World beauty pageant. Miss World 1951 Originally the ''Festival Bikini Contest'', Miss World was o ...

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Sweden

Fast-track events

Fast-track events of Miss World is a set of competition to decide the semi-finalist or the placement of Miss World. Fast-track events was one of deciding factor to choose semi-finalist beside Preliminary Interview by combining those rounds with using points system table. Prior to 2016 the winner of the fast-track events received huge amount of points but not securing semi-finalist spot, however since 2016 the points system table in fast-track were abolished. Since then the winners of the "fast-track" competitions automatically make it to the quarter- or semi-finals. The Miss World fast-track categories are: Beauty With a Purpose, Multimedia Challenge, Sports Challenge, Talent, and Top Model. Miss World Talent added in 2001, Miss World Sports added in 2003, Miss World Top Model added in 2004, Miss World Beauty With a Purpose added in 2005, and Miss World Multimedia added in 2012. There was a fast-track named Miss World Beach Beauty (2003–2015) but it is a discontinued event due to dissatisfaction and cons in many conservative countries, this event was replacing Miss World Best in Swimsuit.

Miss World Beauty With a Purpose

The Beauty with a Purpose is an event established in 1972 that is celebrated before the Miss World pageant. It awards the contestant with the most relevant and important charity project in her nation. The first winner of Beauty With a Purpose was Miss World Korea 2005 Oh Eun-young. Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar is the first and only Beauty With a Purpose recipient to win Miss World.

Miss World Talent

Miss World Talent is a talent or fast-track competition in which contestants show their abilities in singing, dancing, poetry, etc. Introduced in

Miss World 1978 Miss World 1978 was the 28th edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom on 16 November 1978. At the end of the event, Mary Stävin of Sweden crowned Silvana Suárez of Argentina as the new Miss W ...

, the winner of the event automatically makes it into the semi-finals starting 2016. The award returned at

Miss World 2001 Miss World 2001 was the 51st edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the Super Bowl of Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, North West, Sun City, South Africa, on 16 November 2001. Priyanka Chopra of India crowned Agbani Darego of Nig ...

Miss World Top Model

The Miss World Top Model is a modeling fast-track competition. It was first held in 2004, but not in 2005–2006. It has been held since 2007; since 2016 the winner of the competition automatically qualifies for the semi-finals.

Miss World Sports Challenge

Miss World Sports or Sportswoman is a title and award given to the winner of a sports event at Miss World. It is a fast-track or preliminary event, giving the winner automatic entry into the semi-finals. In 2005, there was no Miss Sports winner because it was held as a continental team competition. Starting in 2006, the individual competition returned.

Multimedia Award (''Social Media Award'')

Miss World Multimedia or Social Media Award is a title and award given to the winner of a Multimedia Challenge. It is a fast-track or preliminary event, giving the winner automatic entry into the semi-finals. The score is based on the contestant's likes on Mobstar and Facebook.

Miss World Beach Beauty (''Discontinued Event'')

Miss World Beach Beauty was a

swimsuit A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types and styles may be worn ...

or fast-track competition. The Beach Beauty event started in 2003, when the Miss World Organization first held fast-track events to automatically give a semi-final spot to some of the delegates. This event allowed the Miss World delegates (over 100) to have a chance to be in the semi-finals. The winner made the semi-finals automatically. The Beach Beauty event showcased different swimsuits designed by

Miss World 1975 Miss World 1975 was the 25th edition of the Miss World pageant, held on 20 November 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. 67 contestants took part in the pageant won by Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico. She was crowned by Anne ...

Wilnelia Merced Wilnelia, Lady Forsyth-Johnson (''née'' Merced Cruz; born 12 October 1957) is a Puerto Rican former actress, model and beauty queen. She was crowned Miss World 1975, and was married to British entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth from 1983 until his ...

. In

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

,The Beach Beauty event replaced swimsuit with Balinese sarong. While in

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, the organisation eliminated the swimsuit competition from the pageant.

Miss World hosts and artists

The following is a list Miss World hosts and invited artists through the years.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control International beauty pageants Recurring events established in 1951 1951 establishments in England