{{Short description|Beauty pageant edition}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | image = Kiki Håkansson 01 (cropped).jpg | caption = Kiki Håkansson | winner = [[Kiki Håkansson]] | represented = Sweden | date = 27 July 1951 | presenters = {{Hlist|[[Eric Morley]]}} | entrants = 27 | placements = 5 | venue = [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]], [[London]], United Kingdom | debuts = {{Hlist|Denmark|France|Holland|Mexico|Sweden|United Kingdom|United States}} | next = [[Miss World 1952|1952]] }}
'''Miss World 1951''' was the first [[Miss World]] pageant, held at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]] in [[London]], United Kingdom, on 27 July 1951.<ref name=MWO1>{{cite web|title=1st Miss World - 1951|url= https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1951|work=[[Miss World]]|access-date=30 April 2025|language=en|archive-date=30 April 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250430151035/https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1951|url-status=live}}</ref> The contest was originally intended to be a one-off event connected with the [[Festival of Britain]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 November 2000|title=Eric Morley; British Entrepreneur Created Miss World Beauty Pageant|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-11-me-50377-story.html|access-date=25 July 2023|website=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
At the conclusion of the event, [[Kiki Håkansson]] of Sweden was announced as Miss World 1951.<ref>{{Cite news|date=6 August 1951|title=Miss World and her £1.000|language=en|pages=3|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19510806-1.2.42|access-date=25 July 2023|via=[[National Library Board]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=4 August 1951|title='Miss World' and runners-up|language=en|pages=7|work=Singapore Standard|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19510804-1.2.91|access-date=25 July 2023|via=[[National Library Board]]}}</ref> This is the first victory of Sweden in the history of the pageant. Håkansson is also the only winner to be crowned wearing a bikini.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Magnanti|first=Brooke|date=7 June 2013|title=Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10105935/Miss-World-2013-bikini-ban-why-its-no-victory-for-feminists.html|access-date=25 July 2023|website=The Telegraph|language=en}}</ref>
Twenty-seven contestants from seven countries participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by [[Eric Morley]].
==Background== ===Location and date=== The decade of the 1950s began and Europe was just beginning to rise after World War II. In Britain, people slowly returned to normal. Herbert Morrison, a member of the British parliament, began planning the centennial celebration of the [[Great Exhibition|1851 Great Exhibition]].<ref name="science2">{{cite web |title="Circa 1951: Presenting Science to the British Public", Robert Anderson, Oregon State University |url=http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/events/2007paulingconference/video-s2-3-anderson.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706032208/http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/events/2007paulingconference/video-s2-3-anderson.html |archive-date=6 July 2008 |access-date=13 December 2011 |publisher=Osulibrary.oregonstate.edu |df=dmy}}</ref> In the summer of 1951, the “[[Festival of Britain|Festival of Great Britain]]” was finally born and it was located in Central London, on the banks of the River Thames.<ref name="science2" />
The [[Lyceum Ballroom]], located half a mile from the South Bank where the Festival of Great Britain was being held, belonged to [[Mecca Leisure Group|Mecca Dancing]]. Being so close to the headquarters of the Festival of Great Britain, Mecca Dancing was asked by the event's organizers if they could contribute in any way to the Festival. [[Eric Morley]] was the Publicity Sales Manager of Mecca Dancing, responsible for finding innovative ideas for the Festival. He wanted to create some activity or event that would attract attention, not only to young people but to people of all ages. This is how he suggested creating an international beauty pageant and proposed it to the organizers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cavendish |first=Richard |date=4 April 2001 |title=The First Miss World Contest |url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/first-miss-world-contest |access-date=25 July 2023 |website=[[History Today]]}}</ref> Morley’s suggestion was accepted and the planning of the first Miss World pageant was in full swing. He saw how Bikini fashion was popular and decided that the contest would show beautiful women wearing that tiny garment. Initially, the event would be called “Girl Bikini Contest of the Festival of Great Britain” but due to its international character and after the comment of some journalists, Morley decided to call it “Miss World” after making sure that name had not been previously used or patented. The first [[Miss World]] contest would be held that summer of 1951, being one of the last events of the Festival of Great Britain.
=== Selection of participants === ==== Debuts ==== Twenty-seven contestants from seven countries were selected to compete in the pageant, which included twenty-one from the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sudarshan |first=Anvita |date=30 December 2022 |title=Beauty Queen The Pathway to Pageantry |url= https://www.google.co.th/books/edition/Beauty_Queen/OqSkEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Miss+world+1951&pg=PA23&printsec=frontcover |access-date=9 March 2025}}</ref> This edition marked the debuts of Denmark, France, Holland, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom{{Efn|Competed as Britain in the pageant}} and the United States. Originally, there were thirty contestants competing in the pageant, but Mary Akroyd and two more married ladies decided not to show up due to their husbands’ objection to showing themselves wearing bikinis before the eyes of other men.
== Results == [[File:Miss World 1951 Map of Countries and Territories.png| thumb |250x250px| Miss World 1951 participating countries and territories]]
=== Placements === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" !Placement !Contestant |- |'''Miss World 1951''' | * {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden – [[Kiki Håkansson]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=18 August 1951 |title=Swedesh miss wins beauty title |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSdgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_24NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7198%2C1874030 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix |pages=4 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |- |1st runner-up | * {{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom – Laura Ellison<ref name=":0" /> |- |2nd runner-up | *{{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom – Doreen Dawne<ref name=":0" /> |- |3rd runner-up | *{{flagicon|FRA}} France – Jacqueline Lemoine<ref name=MWO1 /> |- |4th runner-up | *{{flagicon|UK}} United Kingdom – Aileen Chase<ref name=MWO1 /> |}
== Contestants == Twenty-seven contestants competed for the title.<ref name=MWO1 /> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" !Country !Contestant !Age{{efn|Age at the time of the pageant|name=B}} !Hometown |- | {{flagu|Denmark}} || {{sortname|Lily|Jacobsen|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 1951 |title=Great for the Danes! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24168451/kemah-gambling-raid-1951/ |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=The Austin American |pages=11 |language=en |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> || 18 || [[Copenhagen]] |- | {{flagu|France}} || {{sortname|Jacqueline|Lemoine|nolink=1}} || 19 || [[Paris]] |- | {{flagu|Holland}} || {{sortname|Margaret|van Beer|nolink=1}} || – || [[Amsterdam]] |- | {{flagu|Mexico}} || colspan="3" |{{center|''unidentified''}} |- | {{flagu|Sweden}} || {{sortname|Kiki|Håkansson}} || 22 || [[Stockholm]] |- | rowspan="21" | {{flagu|United Kingdom}} || {{sortname|Aileen|Chase|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 August 1951 |title=At the movies |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19510802-1.2.145 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Singapore Standard |pages=10 |language=en |via=National Library Board}}</ref> || 20 || [[Southwick, West Sussex|Southwick]] |- | {{sortname|Ann|West|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 1951 |title=World at its best |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67843845/interesting/ |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Daily News |pages=201 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> || 18 || [[Ilford]] |- | {{sortname|Brenda|Mee|nolink=1}}<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=28 July 1951 |title=Beauties seek 'Miss World' title |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3VhOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2790%2C4482020 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Toledo Blade |pages=2 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> || 18 || [[Derby]] |- | {{sortname|Doreen|Dawne|nolink=1}}<ref name=":0" /> || 28 || [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Elaine|Pryce|nolink=1}} || 22 || [[Bolton]] |- | {{sortname|Fay|Cotton|nolink=1}} || 18 || [[East Midlands]] |- | {{sortname|Jean|Sweeney|nolink=1}} || – || [[Liverpool]] |- | {{sortname|Jean|Worthe|nolink=1}} || – || [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Laura|Ellison|nolink=1}}<ref name=":0" /> || 26 || [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Margaret|Mills|nolink=1}} || – || [[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton]] |- | {{sortname|Margaret|Morgan|nolink=1}} || 22 || [[West Kirby]] |- | {{sortname|Margaret|Turner|nolink=1}} || – || [[Birmingham]] |- | {{sortname|Marlene Ann|Dee|nolink=1}} || 19 || [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Mary|McLaney|nolink=1}} || – || [[Clydebank]] |- | {{sortname|Maureen|O'Neill|nolink=1}} || 19 || [[Palmers Green]] |- | {{sortname|Nina|Way|nolink=1}}<ref name=":1" /> || 21 || [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Norma|Kitchen|nolink=1}} || 21 || [[Leeds]] |- | {{sortname|Pat|Cameron|nolink=1}} || – || [[Glasgow]] |- | {{sortname|Sidney|Walker|nolink=1}}<ref name=":1" /> || 18 || [[Fleetwood]] |- | {{sortname|Sylvia|Wren|nolink=1}} || 20 || [[Dagenham]] |- | {{sortname|Thelma|Kerr|nolink=1}} || 19 || [[Belfast]] |- | {{flagu|United States}} || {{sortname|Annette|Gibson|nolink=1}}<ref name=":1" /> || 20 || [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] |}
== Notes == {{Notelist}} <references group="lower-alpha" responsive="1"></references>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.missworld.com Miss World official website]
{{Miss World}}
[[Category:Miss World]] [[Category:1951 in London]] [[Category:1951 beauty pageants]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in England]] [[Category:July 1951 in the United Kingdom]]