{{Short description|Beauty pageant edition}} {{Use British English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | image = Susana Duijm Miss World 1955.jpg | caption = Susana Duijm | winner = [[Susana Duijm]] | represented = Venezuela | date = 20 October 1955 | presenters = {{Hlist|[[Eric Morley]]}} | entrants = 21 | placements = 8 | venue = [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]], London, United Kingdom | debuts = {{Hlist|Australia|Austria|Cuba|Honduras|Iceland|Venezuela}} | returns = {{Hlist|Israel|Monte-Carlo}} | withdraws = {{Hlist|Egypt|Switzerland|Turkey}} | before = [[Miss World 1954|1954]] | next = [[Miss World 1956|1956]] }}
'''Miss World 1955''' was the fifth [[Miss World]] pageant, held at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]] in [[London]], United Kingdom, on 20 October 1955.
At the conclusion of the event, English actress [[Eunice Gayson]] crowned [[Susana Duijm]] of Venezuela as Miss World 1955. This is the first victory of Venezuela in the history of the pageant. [[Miss World 1954]], [[Antigone Costanda]] of Egypt, did not attend the pageant, due to hostilities between Egypt and the United Kingdom over the [[Suez Crisis|Suez Canal]].
Contestants from twenty-one countries participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by [[Eric Morley]].
== Background == [[File:Lyceum_Theatre,_Wellington_St,_London.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Lyceum Ballroom, venue of Miss World 1955]]
=== Selection of participants === Twenty-one contestants were selected to compete in the pageant. Two contestants were appointed to represent their countries after being a runner-up in their national pageants.
==== Replacements ==== The first runner-up of Miss Suomi 1955, Mirva Arvinen, was appointed to represent Finland after Miss Suomi 1955, Inga-Britt Soderberg, won [[Miss Europe 1955|Miss Europe]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Junttilan|first=Veli|date=6 June 2005|title=Miss Eurooppa Suomesta|url=https://www.ts.fi/puheenvuorot/1074049009|access-date=29 March 2025|website=[[Turun Sanomat]]|language=fi}}</ref>
With the withdrawal of the original Miss Australia 1955, Shirley Bliss, two candidates were chosen to represent Australia at Miss World: Miss Victoria, Beverley Prowse of Melbourne, and Miss South Australia, Pat Doran of Adelaide. To choose who would compete in Miss World, a London newspaper held a poll for its readers, and the readers chose Prowse as the Australian representative to Miss World.<ref>{{Cite news|date=15 October 1955|title=England asked to choose between two lovely lasses from Australia|language=en|pages=6|work=Mirror|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75999163?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=29 March 2025|via=Trove}}</ref>
==== Debuts, returns and withdrawals ==== This edition marked the debut of Australia, Austria, Cuba, Honduras, Iceland and Venezuela, and the returns of Israel and Monte-Carlo, which last competed in [[Miss World 1953|1953]]. [[Dalida|Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti]] of Egypt withdrew due to the dispute between the United Kingdom and Egypt over the Suez Canal.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andrews|first=Farah|date=17 January 2019|title=Egyptian singer Dalida celebrated with Google Doodle|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/egyptian-singer-dalida-celebrated-with-google-doodle-1.814439|access-date=29 March 2025|website=The National|language=en}}</ref> Switzerland and Turkey withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.
Lorna McLeod of Alaska and Barbara Mamo Vieira of Hawaii were supposed to participate in this edition. However, they were unable to participate due to financial issues.<ref>{{Cite news|date=23 September 1955|title=On the Inside|language=en|pages=4|work=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115050148/fairbanks-daily-news-miner/|access-date=29 March 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
==Results== [[File:Miss World 1955 Map.PNG|thumb|250x250px|Miss World 1952 participating countries and territories]] {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |- ! Placement ! Contestant |- | Miss World 1955 | * '''{{flag|Venezuela|1954}}''' – '''[[Susana Duijm]]'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=21 October 1955|title=Susanna Djuim (uit Venezuela) Miss World|language=nl|trans-title=Susanna Djuim (from Venezuela) Miss World|pages=1|work=Het vrije volk|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010952342:mpeg21:p001|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Delpher}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite news|date=21 October 1955|title=Miss World|language=en|pages=13|work=The Leader-Post|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vB9UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DjoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5754%2C3191860|access-date=29 March 2025|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |- | 1st runner-up | * {{flag|United States|1912}} – Margaret Anne Haywood<ref name=":1" /> |- | 2nd runner-up | * {{flag|Greece|old}} – Julia Koumoundourou<ref name=":1" /> |- | 3rd runner-up | * {{flag|Cuba}} – Gilda Marín<ref name=":1" /> |- | 4th runner-up | * {{flag|Sweden}} – Anita Åstrand<ref name=":1" /> |- | 5th runner-up | * {{flag|France}} – Gisele Thierry<ref name=":1" /> |- | Top 8 | * {{flag|Australia}} – Beverly Prowse<ref name=":1" /> * {{flag|Austria}} – Felicitas Göbel<ref name=":1" /> |}
==Contestants== Twenty-one contestants competed for the title.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":23">{{Cite news|date=21 October 1955|title=Susane Djuim (Venezuela) is de mooiste van '55|language=nl|trans-title=Susane Djuim (Venezuela) is the most beautiful of '55|pages=3|work=Algemeen Dagblad|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMKB19:000331018:mpeg21:p00003|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Delpher}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" !Country !Contestant !Age{{efn|Age at the time of the pageant|name=B}} !Hometown |- |{{flag|Australia}} |Beverly Prowse<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 October 1955|title=Model will face judge|language=en|pages=9|work=The Daily News|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/266337326?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Trove}}</ref> |23 |[[Melbourne]] |- |{{flag|Austria}} |Felicitas Göbel<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 January 2019|title=Miss Austria wird seit 90 Jahren gewählt|url=https://wien.orf.at/v2/news/stories/2961076/|access-date=22 June 2024|website=Wien|language=de}}</ref> |24 |[[Vienna]] |- |{{flag|Belgium}} |Rosette Ghislain<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 April 2009|title=Miss 55: "J'ai hésité avant de venir"|url=https://www.dhnet.be/medias/television/2009/04/06/miss-55-jai-hesite-avant-de-venir-MDWP4QA3TJASPHRS3OGRJCPHCI/|access-date=22 June 2024|website=La Dernière Heure|language=fr}}</ref> |22 |[[Hainaut Province|Hainaut]] |- |{{flag|Ceylon|1951}} |Viola Sita Gunarate<ref name=":23" /> |22 |[[Colombo]] |- |{{flag|Cuba}} |Gilda Marín<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|date=21 October 1955|title=Miss World|language=en|pages=13|work=The Leader-Post|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vB9UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DjoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5754%2C3191860|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Google News Archive}}</ref> |26 |[[Havana]] |- |{{flag|Denmark}} |Karin Rasmussen<ref name=":23" /> |18 |[[Copenhagen]] |- |{{flag|Finland}} |Mirva Arvinen<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 October 1955|title=The mystery of a miss|language=en|pages=6|work=The Daily News|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/266339216?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Trove}}</ref> |19 |[[Helsinki]] |- |{{flag|France}} |Gisele Thierry<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 October 1955|title=Wants to be "Miss World"|language=en|pages=10|work=The Straits Times|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19551018-1.2.125|access-date=22 June 2024|via=National Library Board}}</ref> |21 |[[Paris]] |- |{{flag|Greece|old}} |Julia Koumoundourou<ref>{{Cite news|date=7 December 1955|title=Crowning glory|language=en|pages=15|work=The Daily News|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/266352285?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Trove}}</ref> |18 |[[Icaria]] |- |{{flag|Holland}} |Angelina Kalkhoven<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 October 1955|title=Miss Holland|language=nl|pages=9|work=Het Parool|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010829987:mpeg21:p009|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Delpher}}</ref> |18 |[[Amsterdam]] |- |{{flag|Honduras|1949}} |Pastora Pagán<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gámez|first=Sabino|date=20 August 2010|title=Pastora Pagán, 55 años después de la hazaña|url=https://www.laprensa.hn/espectaculos/pastora-pagan-55-anos-despues-de-la-hazana-HQLP489529|access-date=22 June 2024|website=La Prensa|language=es-HN}}</ref> |18 |[[San Pedro Sula]] |- |{{flag|Iceland}} |Arna Hjörleifsdóttir<ref>{{Cite news|date=19 August 1955|title=Arna Hjörleifsdóttir fra Akureyri kjörin "Fegurðardrottning íslands"|language=is|trans-title=Arna Hjörleifsdóttir from Akureyri elected "Beauty Queen of Iceland"|pages=3|work=Fálkinn|url=https://timarit.is/page/4371358?iabr=on|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Tímarit.is}}</ref> |22 |[[Akureyri]] |- |{{flag|Ireland}} |Evelyn Foley<ref name=":23" /> |22 |[[Dublin]] |- |{{flag|Israel}} |Miriam Kotler<ref name=":23" /> |21 |[[Tel Aviv]] |- |{{flag|Italy}} |Franca Incorvaia<ref name=":23" /> |18 |[[Milan]] |- |{{flag|Monaco|name=Monte Carlo}} |Josette Travers<ref name=":23" /> |16 |[[Monte Carlo]] |- |{{flag|Sweden}} |Anita Åstrand<ref name=":23" /> |21 |[[Alingsås Municipality|Alingsas]] |- |{{flag|United Kingdom}}{{Efn|Competed as Great Britain in the pageant}} |Jennifer Chimes<ref>{{Cite news|date=31 October 1955|title=Miss England a mother|language=en|pages=3|work=The Daily News|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/266339743?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=22 June 2024|via=Trove}}</ref> |22 |[[Leamington Spa]] |- |{{flag|United States|1912}} |Margaret Anne Haywood<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 October 1955|title=Arkansas girl almost Miss World|language=en|pages=36|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5A1ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5154%2C2180058|access-date=22 June 2024|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |20 |[[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]] |- |{{flag|Venezuela|1954}} |[[Susana Duijm]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roterman|first=Natalie|date=19 June 2016|title=Susana Duijm Dead: First Latina To Ever Win Miss Mundo Passes at 79|url=https://www.latintimes.com/susana-duijm-dead-first-latina-ever-win-miss-mundo-passes-79-391264|access-date=22 June 2024|website=Latin Times|language=en}}</ref> |19 |[[Aragua de Barcelona]] |- |{{flag|West Germany}} |Heidi Krüger<ref name=":23" /> |18 |[[Berlin]] |}
==Notes== {{Notelist}} <references group="lower-alpha" />
==References== <references></references>
==External links== * {{official|http://www.missworld.com}}
{{Miss World}}
[[Category:Miss World]] [[Category:1955 in London]] [[Category:1955 beauty pageants]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in England]] [[Category:October 1955 in the United Kingdom]]