Miss World 1955
{{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 Ballroom, London, United Kingdom
| debuts = {{Hlist|Australia|Austria|Cuba|Honduras|Iceland|Venezuela}}
| returns = {{Hlist|Israel|Monte Carlo}}
| withdraws = {{Hlist|Egypt|Switzerland|Turkey}}
| before = 1954
| next = 1956
}}
Miss World 1955 was the fifth Miss World pageant, held at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, United Kingdom on 20 October 1955.
At the end 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 due to hostilities between Egypt and the United Kingdom over the Suez Canal.
Contestants from twenty-one countries participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Eric Morley.
Background
= 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 ==
Miss Suomi 1955 first runner-up Mirva Arvinen was appointed to represent Finland after Miss Suomi 1955 Inga-Britt Soderberg won Miss Europe.{{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}}
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.{{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}}
== Debuts, returns and withdrawals ==
This edition marked the debuts of Australia, Austria, Cuba, Honduras, Iceland and Venezuela, and the returns of Israel and Monte-Carlo who last competed in 1953. Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti of Egypt withdrew due to the dispute between the United Kingdom and Egypt over the Suez Canal.{{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}} 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.{{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}}
Results
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |
| Placement
! Contestant |
|---|
| Miss World 1955
|
|
| 1st runner-up
| |
| 2nd runner-up
| |
| 3rd runner-up
| |
| 4th runner-up
| |
| 5th runner-up
| |
| Top 8
| |
Contestants
Twenty-one contestants competed for the title.{{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}}
Notes
References
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