HISTORY

It all started way back in 1951 as part of that year's Festival of Britain celebrations. Officially titled the 'Festival Bikini Contest,' it was the British press who dubbed it 'Miss World.'

It all started way back in 1951 as part of that year's Festival of Britain celebrations. Officially titled the "Festival Bikini Contest," it was the British press who dubbed it "Miss World." The media frenzy welcomed a global audience bigger than international events like the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

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Fifty years later, it attracts an annual audience of 2.5 billion people. Founder Eric Morley, a former bingo hall manager, originally intended the contest to be a one-time event. But when the Miss Universe Pageant entered the equation the following year, he decided to make his show an annual one.

For Eric and his wife, Julia, it then became a life's work and passion. Here's a brief look at the history of the pageant over the years.

1951 - Kerstin Haakansson, Sweden		1952 - May Louise Flodin, Sweden		1953 - Denise Perrier, France		1954 - Antigone Costanda, Egypt		1955 - Carmen Susana Zubillaga, Venezuela
1956 - Petra Schürmann, Germany		1957 - Marita Lindahl, Finland		1958 - Penelope Anne Coelen, South Africa		1959 - Corine Rottschaefer, Holland		1960 - Norma Gladys Cappagli, Argentina
1961 - Rosemarie Frankland, United Kingdom		1962 - Catharina Johanna Lodders, Holland		1963 - Carole Joan Crawford, Jamaica		1964 - Ann Sidney, United Kingdom		1965 - Lesley Langley, United Kingdom
1966 - Reita Faria, India		1967 - Madeleine Hartog-Bel Houghton, Peru		1968 - Penelope Plummer, Australia		1969 - Eve Reuber-Staier, Austria		1970 - Jennifer Josephine Hosten, Grenada
1971 - Lúcia Tavares Peterlle, Brazil		1972 - Belinda Roma Green, Australia		1973 - Marjorie (Marji) Wallace, United States		1974 - Helen Elizabeth Morgan, United Kingdom		1975 - Wilnelia Merced Cruz, Puerto Rico
1976 - Cynthia Jean Breakspeare, Jamaica		1977 - Mary Ann-Catrin Stavin, Sweden		1978 - Silvana Suárez Clarence, Argentina		1979 - Gina Ann Swainson, Bermuda		1980 - Gabriella Brum, Germany
1981 - Carmen Josefina (Pilín) León Crespo, Venezuela		1982 - Mariasela Alvarez Lebrón, Dominican Republic		1983 - Sarah-Jane Hutt, United Kingdom		1984 - Astrid Carolina Herrara Irrazábal, Venezuela		1985 - Holmfridur Karlsdóttir, Iceland
1986 - Giselle Jeanne-Marie Laronde, Trinidad & Tobago		1987 - Ulla Weigerstorfer, Austria		1988 - Linda Pétursdóttir, Iceland		1989- Aneta-Beata Kreglicka, Poland		1990 - Gina Marie Tolleson, United States
1991 - Ninibeth Beatriz Leal Jiménez, Venezuela		1992 - Yuliya Alexandrovna Kourotchkina, Russia		1993 - Lisa Hanna, Jamaica		1994 - Aishwarya Rai, India		1995 - Jacqueline Maria Aguilera Marcano, Venezuela
1996 - Irene Skliva, Greece		1997 - Diana Hayden, India		1998 -Linor Abargil, Israel		1999 - Yukta Mookhey, India		2000 - Priyanka Mini Chopra, India
2001 - Asenite Darego, Nigeria		2002 - Diana Hayden, India		2003 - Rosanna Davison, Ireland