Miss World 1956

{{Short description|Beauty pageant edition}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use British English|date=November 2011}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | photo = Miss World 1956 Petra Schürmann Crowned 02.jpg | caption = [[Petra Schürmann]] | winner = [[Petra Schürmann]] | represented = West Germany | date = 15 October 1956 | presenters = [[Eric Morley]] | entrants = 24 | placements = 6 | venue = [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]], [[London]], United Kingdom | debuts = {{Hlist|Japan|Morocco|New Zealand|South Africa|Tunisia}} | returns = {{Hlist|Egypt|Switzerland|Turkey}} | withdraws = {{Hlist|Australia|Ceylon|Cuba|Honduras|Monte Carlo}} | before = [[Miss World 1955|1955]] | next = [[Miss World 1957|1957]] }}

'''Miss World 1956''' was the sixth [[Miss World]] pageant, held at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]] in [[London]], United Kingdom, on 15 October 1956.

At the conclusion of the event, [[Susana Duijm]] of [[Venezuela]] crowned [[Petra Schürmann]] of [[West Germany]] as Miss World 1956. This is the first victory of West Germany in the history of the pageant.

The announcement of the winner led to some confusion during the ceremony. Initially, Betty Lane Cherry of the United States was mistakenly announced as the winner when she received the winner's sash. However, it was later clarified that she was the first runner-up. In response to the mix-up, she stated, "Two seconds don't make one first."<ref>Eddy Gilmore, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8910148/1956_miss_world/ "Miss Germany Wins World Beauty Title"], ''[[Associated Press]]'' in ''[[San Mateo Times]]'', 16 October 1956. Retrieved 17 February 2017 via [[Newspapers.com]] {{free access}}</ref><ref>Dale Linder-Altman, [http://thetandd.com/news/it-s-happened-before-orangeburg-queen-also-incorrectly-labeled-winner/article_5e9741f4-2de4-522b-b0ec-227b49ab52cc.html " It's happened before: Orangeburg queen also incorrectly labeled winner"], ''[[The Times and Democrat]]'', 22 December 2015.</ref>

Contestants from twenty-four 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 1956]]

=== Selection of participants === Twenty-four contestants were selected to compete in the pageant.

==== Debuts, returns and withdrawals ==== This edition marked the debut of Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, South Africa and Tunisia, and the returns of Egypt, Switzerland and Turkey, which last competed in [[Miss World 1954|1954]].

Maureen Kistle of Australia withdrew after deciding to make her trip to London in December, leaving her without the financial support to return in October before her national title was awarded. As a result, [[Eric Morley]] sent a letter to Australian newspapers seeking a replacement for Kistle, but none emerged.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 October 1956|title=Miss World just can't be an Australian...|language=en|pages=3|work=The Argus|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84390507?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=7 April 2025|via=Trove}}</ref> Marcia Rodríguez of Cuba did not participate for undisclosed reasons.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=16 July 1956 |title=Beauties from many lands join in opening Miss Universe Contest |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MnE_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=rlQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=687%2C77332 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=[[Youngstown Vindicator]] |page=13 |language=en |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> Ceylon, Honduras, and Monte-Carlo withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.

Marthe Niankoury of Côte d'Ivoire was supposed to participate, but she was unable to do so due to visa problems.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Elizabeth Ofosuah|date=24 February 2019|title=See the first-ever beauty queens from Africa|url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/see-the-first-ever-beauty-queens-from-africa|access-date=7 April 2025|website=Face2Face Africa|language=en}}</ref> Leda Brandão Rau of Brazil and Dorothy Moreau of Canada were also supposed to participate. However, they were unable to do so due to budget constraints.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 July 1956|title=Miss Canada|language=en|pages=7|work=The Ottawa Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33935893/the-ottawa-journal/|access-date=7 April 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2 September 1956|title=Miss Canada|language=en|pages=2|work=Santa Cruz Sentinel|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22531213/santa-cruz-sentinel/|access-date=7 April 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Lola Sabogal of Peru was also invited to compete, but she did not compete for undisclosed reasons.

=== Placements === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |- ! Placement ! Contestant |- | Miss World 1956 | * {{flag|West Germany}} – [[Petra Schürmann]] |- | 1st runner-up | * {{flag|United States|1912}} – Betty Lane Cherry |- | 2nd runner-up | * {{flag|Israel}} – Rina Weiss |- | 3rd runner-up | * {{flag|Japan|1947}} – Midoriko Tokura<ref name=sydney/> |- | 4th runner-up | * {{flag|Denmark}} – Anne Rye Nielsen |- | 5th runner-up | * {{flag|Sweden}} – Eva Bränn |}

== Contestants == Twenty-four contestants competed for the title.<ref>{{cite web|title=6th Miss World - 1954|url=https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1956|work=[[Miss World]]|access-date=1 May 2025|language=en|archive-date=4 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904062245/https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1956|url-status=live}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" !Country !Contestant !Age{{efn|Age at the time of the pageant|name=B}} !Hometown |- |{{flag|Austria}} |Margaret Scherz |22 |[[Vienna]] |- |{{flag|Belgium}} |Madeleine Hotelet<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 January 2010|title=Erelijst Miss België|url=https://www.demorgen.be/tv-cultuur/erelijst-miss-belgie~b5723d4d/|access-date=1 April 2025|website=De Morgen|language=nl-NL|trans-title=Honors list Miss Belgium}}</ref> |25 |[[Brussels]] |- |{{flag|Denmark}} |Anne Rye Nielsen |19 |[[Frederiksberg]] |- |{{flag|Egypt|1952}} |Norma Dugo<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|date=9 October 1956|title=Miss England, Miss Egypt to share room|language=en|pages=6|work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NDweAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BL8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4407%2C1276674|access-date=1 April 2025|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |17 |[[Cairo]] |- |{{flag|Finland}} |Sirpa Helena Koivu<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 September 2006|title=Sirpa Koivu, vuoden 1956 kaunein|trans-title=Sirpa Koivu, the most beautiful of 1956|url=http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2006/09/08/sirpa-koivu-vuoden-1956-kaunein|access-date=1 April 2025|website=Yle|language=fi-FI}}</ref> |18 |[[Turku]] |- |{{flag|France}} |Geneviève Solare<ref>{{Cite news|date=17 October 1956|title=Mais oui|language=en|pages=12|work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dmQeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7JkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2279%2C5817162|access-date=1 April 2025|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |20 |[[Paris]] |- |{{flag|Greece|old}} |Maria Passaloglou |19 |[[Athens]] |- |{{flag|Holland}} |Ans van Pothoven<ref>{{Cite news|date=2 October 1956|title=Miss Holland was een week te vroeg|language=nl|trans-title=Miss Holland was a week early|pages=9|work=Twentsch dagblad Tubantia|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMHCO02:163759002:mpeg21:p00009|access-date=1 April 2025|via=Delpher}}</ref> |18 |[[Amsterdam]] |- |{{flag|Iceland}} |Ágústa Guðmundsdóttir<ref>{{Cite news|date=15 October 1956|title=Warm hand for Miss Iceland|language=en|pages=2|work=The Argus|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84391569?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=1 April 2025|via=Trove}}</ref> |19 |[[Reykjavík]] |- |{{flag|Ireland}} |Amy Kelly |22 |[[Dublin]] |- |{{flag|Israel}} |Rina Weiss<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 July 1956 |title=Israeli beauties |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w8xWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GUINAAAAIBAJ&pg=1333%2C848470 |access-date=17 November 2022 |work=[[The News-Dispatch]] |pages=5}}</ref> |19 |[[Tel Aviv]] |- |{{flag|Italy}} |Angela Portaluri<ref>{{Cite news|date=27 October 1956|title=Un souvenir memorable|language=fr|trans-title=A memorable souvenir|pages=3|work=Photo Journal|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3jIqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MkYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1495%2C3293225|access-date=1 April 2025|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |19 |[[Maglie]] |- |{{flag|Japan|1947}} |Midoriko Tokura<ref>{{Cite news|date=11 October 1956|title=Japanese girl favourite|language=en|pages=31|work=The Central Queensland Herald|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79269597?searchTerm=%22Miss%20World%22|access-date=1 April 2025|via=Trove}}</ref> |20 |[[Yamaguchi (city)|Yamaguchi]] |- |{{flag|Morocco}} |Lydia Marin<ref>{{Cite web|last=Babas|first=Latifa|date=11 February 2019|title=Histoire : Quand le Maroc était représenté dans les concours internationaux de beauté|url=https://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/74480/histoire-quand-maroc-etait-represente.html|access-date=1 April 2025|website=Yabiladi|language=fr}}</ref> |19 |[[Rabat]] |- |{{flag|New Zealand}} |Jeanette de Montalk<ref>{{cite news |title=N.Z. Girl Refuses To Parade In World Beauty Contest |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/press/1956/10/11/13 |work=[[The Press]] |page=13 |access-date=1 January 2026 |date=11 October 1956 |location=[[Christchurch]], New Zealand |via=[[National Library of New Zealand#Papers Past|Papers Past]]}}</ref> |20 |[[Whangārei]] |- |{{flag|Union of South Africa|name=South Africa}} |Norma Vorster<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=3 February 2014|title=History of Miss South Africa|url=https://www.news24.com/you/archive/history-of-miss-south-africa-20170728-2|access-date=1 April 2025|website=News24|language=en-US}}</ref> |19 |[[Natal (province)|Natal]] |- |{{flag|Sweden}} |Eva Bränn |20 |[[Timrå]] |- |{{flag|Switzerland}} |Yolanda Daetwyler |20 |[[Zurich|Zürich]] |- |{{flag|Tunisia}} |Pascaline Agnes<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 December 2016|title=Miss Tunisie : retour sur 60 ans d’histoire – Jeune Afrique|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/379331/societe/miss-tunisie-retour-60-ans-dhistoire/|access-date=1 April 2025|website=JeuneAfrique.com|language=fr-FR}}</ref> |20 |[[Tunis]] |- |{{flag|Turkey}} |Suna Özekin |20 |[[Istanbul]] |- |{{flag|United Kingdom}}{{Efn|Competed as Great Britain in the pageant}} |Iris Alice Kathleen Waller<ref name=":4" /> |21 |[[Gateshead]] |- |{{flag|United States|1912}} |Betty Lane Cherry<ref name=":02">{{Cite news|last=McHugh|first=Robert|date=28 October 1956|title=South Carolina's cornering market on beautiful girls|language=en|pages=3|work=Battle Creek Enquirer|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115765120/battle-creek-enquirer/|access-date=1 April 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> |20 |[[Orangeburg County, South Carolina|Orangeburg]] |- |{{flag|Venezuela|1954}} |Celsa Pieri |18 |[[Carúpano]] |- |{{flag|West Germany}} |[[Petra Schürmann]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=17 May 2010|title=Mehr Liebe geht nicht|trans-title=More love is not possible|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/zum-tod-von-petra-schuermann-mehr-liebe-geht-nicht-1.62847|access-date=1 April 2025|website=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]|language=de}}</ref> |23 |[[Mönchengladbach]] |}

==Notes== {{Notelist}} <references group="lower-alpha" />

== References == <references> <ref name=sydney>{{cite news|title=OPERA HOUSE RECITAL|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19640817&id=34RWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7124,6236132&hl=ja|access-date=14 April 2016|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=17 August 1964}}</ref> </references>

== External links == * [http://www.missworld.com Miss World official website]

[[Category:Miss World]] [[Category:1956 in London]] [[Category:1956 beauty pageants]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in England]] [[Category:October 1956 in the United Kingdom]]