# Miss World 1951 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Miss_World_1951 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Miss_World_1951.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_World_1951 > Source revision: 1348813156 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Beauty pageant edition Miss World 1951 Kiki Håkansson Date 27 July 1951 Presenters Eric Morley Venue Lyceum Ballroom, London, United Kingdom Entrants 27 Placements 5 Debuts Denmark France Holland Mexico Sweden United Kingdom United States Winner Kiki Håkansson Sweden 1952 → **Miss World 1951** was the first [Miss World](/source/Miss_World) pageant, held at the [Lyceum Ballroom](/source/Lyceum_Theatre%2C_London) in [London](/source/London), United Kingdom, on 27 July 1951.[1] The contest was originally intended to be a one-off event connected with the [Festival of Britain](/source/Festival_of_Britain).[2] At the conclusion of the event, [Kiki Håkansson](/source/Kiki_H%C3%A5kansson) of Sweden was announced as Miss World 1951.[3][4] 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.[5] Twenty-seven contestants from seven countries participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by [Eric Morley](/source/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 [1851 Great Exhibition](/source/Great_Exhibition).[6] In the summer of 1951, the “[Festival of Great Britain](/source/Festival_of_Britain)” was finally born and it was located in Central London, on the banks of the River Thames.[6] The [Lyceum Ballroom](/source/Lyceum_Ballroom), located half a mile from the South Bank where the Festival of Great Britain was being held, belonged to [Mecca Dancing](/source/Mecca_Leisure_Group). 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](/source/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.[7] 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](/source/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.[8] This edition marked the debuts of Denmark, France, Holland, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom[a] 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 Miss World 1951 participating countries and territories ### Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 1951 Sweden – Kiki Håkansson[9] 1st runner-up United Kingdom – Laura Ellison[9] 2nd runner-up United Kingdom – Doreen Dawne[9] 3rd runner-up France – Jacqueline Lemoine[1] 4th runner-up United Kingdom – Aileen Chase[1] ## Contestants Twenty-seven contestants competed for the title.[1] Country Contestant Age[b] Hometown Denmark Lily Jacobsen[10] 18 Copenhagen France Jacqueline Lemoine 19 Paris Holland Margaret van Beer – Amsterdam Mexico unidentified Sweden Kiki Håkansson 22 Stockholm United Kingdom Aileen Chase[11] 20 Southwick Ann West[12] 18 Ilford Brenda Mee[13] 18 Derby Doreen Dawne[9] 28 London Elaine Pryce 22 Bolton Fay Cotton 18 East Midlands Jean Sweeney – Liverpool Jean Worthe – London Laura Ellison[9] 26 London Margaret Mills – Middleton Margaret Morgan 22 West Kirby Margaret Turner – Birmingham Marlene Ann Dee 19 London Mary McLaney – Clydebank Maureen O'Neill 19 Palmers Green Nina Way[13] 21 London Norma Kitchen 21 Leeds Pat Cameron – Glasgow Sidney Walker[13] 18 Fleetwood Sylvia Wren 20 Dagenham Thelma Kerr 19 Belfast United States Annette Gibson[13] 20 Louisville ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Competed as Britain in the pageant 1. **[^](#cite_ref-B_11-0)** Age at the time of the pageant ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MWO1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MWO1_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-MWO1_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-MWO1_1-3) ["1st Miss World - 1951"](https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1951). *[Miss World](/source/Miss_World)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250430151035/https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1951) from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Eric Morley; British Entrepreneur Created Miss World Beauty Pageant"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-11-me-50377-story.html). *[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)*. 11 November 2000. Retrieved 25 July 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Miss World and her £1.000"](http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19510806-1.2.42). *[The Straits Times](/source/The_Straits_Times)*. 6 August 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2023 – via [National Library Board](/source/National_Library_Board). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["'Miss World' and runners-up"](http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19510804-1.2.91). *Singapore Standard*. 4 August 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 25 July 2023 – via [National Library Board](/source/National_Library_Board). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Magnanti, Brooke (7 June 2013). ["Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10105935/Miss-World-2013-bikini-ban-why-its-no-victory-for-feminists.html). *The Telegraph*. Retrieved 25 July 2023. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-science2_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-science2_6-1) [""Circa 1951: Presenting Science to the British Public", Robert Anderson, Oregon State University"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080706032208/http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/events/2007paulingconference/video-s2-3-anderson.html). Osulibrary.oregonstate.edu. Archived from [the original](http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/events/2007paulingconference/video-s2-3-anderson.html) on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Cavendish, Richard (4 April 2001). ["The First Miss World Contest"](https://www.historytoday.com/archive/first-miss-world-contest). *[History Today](/source/History_Today)*. Retrieved 25 July 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Sudarshan, Anvita (30 December 2022). ["Beauty Queen The Pathway to Pageantry"](https://www.google.co.th/books/edition/Beauty_Queen/OqSkEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Miss+world+1951&pg=PA23&printsec=frontcover). Retrieved 9 March 2025. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_10-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_10-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_10-4) ["Swedesh miss wins beauty title"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSdgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_24NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7198%2C1874030). *Saskatoon Star-Phoenix*. 18 August 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 29 February 2024 – via [Google News Archive](/source/Google_News_Archive). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Great for the Danes!"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24168451/kemah-gambling-raid-1951/). *The Austin American*. 20 July 1951. p. 11. Retrieved 29 February 2024 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["At the movies"](http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19510802-1.2.145). *Singapore Standard*. 2 August 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 29 February 2024 – via National Library Board. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["World at its best"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67843845/interesting/). *Daily News*. 27 July 1951. p. 201. Retrieved 29 February 2024 – via Newspapers.com. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_15-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_15-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_15-3) ["Beauties seek 'Miss World' title"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3VhOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2790%2C4482020). *Toledo Blade*. 28 July 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 29 February 2024 – via [Google News Archive](/source/Google_News_Archive). ## External links - [Miss World official website](http://www.missworld.com) v t e Miss World Editions 1950s 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020s 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Related Titleholders Runners-up and finalists Editions Countries Beauty with a Purpose --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Miss World 1951](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_World_1951) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_World_1951?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.