A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss Universe 2004 was the 53rd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Centro de Convenciones CEMEXPO in Quito, Ecuador on 1 June 2004.
Miss World 2005, the 55th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 10 December 2005 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. María Julia Mantilla of Peru crowned her successor Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir of Iceland. 102 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown. All contestants competed in three "fast track" events, Beach Beauty, Miss Talent, and Beauty With a Purpose contests. The winner of each competition immediately became one of the fifteen pageant semi-finalists. She became the third Icelandic woman to win Miss World.
Miss World 2007, the 57th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 1 December 2007 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. It was hosted by Fernando Allende and Angela Chow. Zhang Zilin of China won the crown and succeeded Taťána Kuchařová of the Czech Republic.
Miss Universe 1999 was the 48th Miss Universe pageant, held on 26 May 1999 at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago. Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana was crowned by Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago at the end of the event. This edition marks the most recent time that a first-time entry of a country at Miss Universe has won and the third time in pageant's history, after Colombia in 1958 and Finland in 1952. This edition also saw a back-to-back victory by black women. 84 contestants competed in this year.
Miss Universe 1992 was the 41st Miss Universe pageant, held on 9 May 1992 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Seventy-eight contestants competed in this year. Michelle McLean of Namibia was crowned by Lupita Jones of Mexico at the event's conclusion. This is the first and so far only time that Namibia won the pageant.
Miss World 2000 was the 50th anniversary of the Miss World pageant, held at the Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom on 30 November 2000. Portions of the pageant were also filmed in the Maldives.
Miss World 2004, the 54th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 4 December 2004 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. The 2004 pageant marks the second straight year that Sanya played host of the pageant. Rosanna Davison of Ireland crowned her successor María Julia Mantilla of Peru. 107 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown marking at that time, the biggest turnout in the pageant's 54-year history. That record was held until Miss World 2008 where 109 nations sent representatives.
Miss World 2002, the 52nd edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 7 December 2002 at the Alexandra Palace in London, United Kingdom. It was initially intended to be staged in Abuja, but due to religious riots in the nearby city of Kaduna the pageant was relocated to London.
Miss World 2001, the 51st edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 16 November 2001 at the Super Bowl of Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa. 93 contestants from all over the world competed for the title. Priyanka Chopra of India crowned her successor Agbani Darego of Nigeria at the end of the event. This is the first time Nigeria won the title of Miss World.
Miss World 1999, the 49th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 4 December 1999 at the Olympia Hall in London, United Kingdom. The pageant was hosted by Ulrika Jonsson and model Melanie Sykes. The 1999 pageant attracted 94 delegates from all over the world. The 1999 pageant also marked the first time that Scotland and Wales fielded their respective delegates. At the end of the event, 20-year-old Miss India Yukta Mookhey went on to win the Miss World 1999 crown. The preliminary swimsuit competition was held in Malta. She was crowned by her predecessor Linor Abargil of Israel. Protesters gathered outside the event, decrying it as a "sexist cattle market".
Miss World 1995, the 45th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 18 November 1995 for the fourth straight year at the Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa. The 1995 pageant attracted 84 delegates. The pageant was hosted by Richard Steinmetz, Jeff Trachta, and Bobbie Eakes and also involved supermodels Linda Evangelista and Beverly Peele and Bruce Forsyth who acted as presenters. Aside from Sun City; Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the Comoros hosted some segments of the show. The winner was Jacqueline Aguilera of Venezuela. She was crowned by Miss World 1994, Aishwarya Rai of India.
Miss World 1988, the 38th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 17 November 1988 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. The winner was Linda Pétursdóttir from Iceland. She was crowned by Miss World 1987, Ulla Weigerstorfer of Austria. Runner-up was Yeon-hee Choi representing Korea and third was Kirsty Roper from the United Kingdom. The Miss World 1988 was hosted by Peter Marshall, who has hosted other Miss World competitions such as Miss World 1986, and Alexandra Bastedo, with musical performances by Koreana and 1970s American pop musician Donny Osmond.
Miss World 1986, the 36th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 13 November 1986 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. The winner was Giselle Laronde from Trinidad and Tobago. She was crowned by Miss World 1985, Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir of Iceland. Runner-up was Pia Rosenberg Larsen representing Denmark and third was Chantal Schreiber from Austria.
Miss World 1976 was the 26th edition of the Miss World pageant, held on 18 November 1976 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. The winner was Cindy Breakspeare from Jamaica. She was crowned by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico. Runner-up was Karen Jo Pini representing Australia, third was Diana Marie Roberts Duenas from Guam, fourth was Carol Jean Grant of United Kingdom, and fifth was Merja Helena Tammi from Finland.
Miss World 2008, the 58th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 13 December 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Originally, the pageant was going to take place in Kyiv, Ukraine, but because of the ongoing 2008 Russo-Georgian diplomatic crisis in neighbouring South Ossetia, the Miss World Organization decided to move the pageant away from Eastern Europe. 109 contestants from all over the world compete for the crown, the second highest turnout in the 59 years of the pageant. Zhang Zilin of China crowned Ksenia Sukhinova of Russia as the brand new Miss World.
Miss World 2010, the 60th anniversary of the Miss World pageant, was held on 30 October 2010 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China after Vietnam backed out of the hosting contract. 115 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown. Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar crowned her successor Alexandria Mills of the United States at end of the event.
Miss World 2015, the 65th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 19 December 2015 at the outdoor arena of the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China. 114 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown. Rolene Strauss of South Africa crowned her successor Mireia Lalaguna of Spain at the end of the event. It was the first time in the history of Miss World that Spain won the pageant.
