Grand Slam Ranking and Country of the Year 1959
SWEDEN, THE USA, FRANCE, AND GERMANY, WERE THE MEGA FORCES OF THE 1950´s
The so-called “golden years” came to an end and both Miss World and Miss Universe had come a long way, becoming mega entertaining events watched and followed by millions in a considerable number of countries. Nations from four continents had Grand Slam winners by 1959, but four of these countries did extraordinarily well in the past nine years: Sweden, the #1 beauty pageants´ mega power by then, with 3 winners (2 in Miss World and 1 in Miss Universe) and several finalists, the USA, France, and Germany.
Japan, the winner of Miss Universe 1959, came far from the above-mentioned-fantastic-four, but still in an honorable 5th place, finally putting Asian beauty in a high place.
The United Kingdom was still to “explode” in terms of positive results in Miss World, after a surprisingly discreet showing in the 1950s.
Africa had triumphs and good results with white girls from South Africa and Egypt in the 1950s. The first black woman to compete in Miss World was Miss Ghana 1959, Star Nyaniba Annan, who got lots of press attention but did not place. In Miss Universe, things were not different. Things would start (slightly) changing in that sense in the 1960s.
In Latin America, where beauty contests had become a “state affair”, Peru was the most successful nation and the only one in the Top 10, in 9th place and having won the 1957 Miss Universe title. Though Brazil did not win any titles in the 1950s, it played the game consistently strong in Miss Universe, coming next, in 12th place. Venezuela (16th and a Miss World), Colombia (18th in just two years of participation and a Miss Universe victory), and Argentina (19th) were emerging powers from this region. Cuba (20th) reigned in the Caribbean, something that would be abruptly paused when Fidel and communism took the island, in the early 1960s.
Future powerhouses such as the Philippines (42nd), Puerto Rico (49th and no placement), and Thailand (55th), were nearly “invisible” in the beginning. For them, the best was still to come!
What would the exciting 1960s bring next? We shall see in the next chapters…
Miss World Ranking in 1959 (Top 20): 1-Sweden; 2-France; 3-Germany; 4-Denmark; 5-South Africa; 6-United States; 7-Egypt; 8-Greece; 9-Finland; 10-Netherlands; 11-Venezuela; 12- UK; 13-Israel; 14-Switzerland; 15-Japan; 16-Peru; 17-Ceylon; 18-Tunisia; 19-Cuba; 20-Austria.
Miss Universe Ranking in 1959 (Top 20): 1-United States; 2-Sweden; 3-Germany; 4-Japan; 5-Brazil; 6-Peru; 7-France; 8-England / UK; 9-Colombia; 10-Greece; 11-Finland; 12-Norway; 13-Hawaii; 14-Italy; 15-Hong Kong; 16-Mexico; 17-Uruguay; 18-Argentina; 19-Cuba; 20-Belgium and Canada.
1959: THE "GOLDEN YEARS" DECADE ENDS WITH ANOTHER TIE AND TWO "COUNTRIES OF THE YEAR"
The 1950's, the decade when the world got back on its feet, recovering from the devastating effects of World War ll, came to an end with Asian beauty being put in evidence for the first time since the creation of Miss World and Miss Universe. In 1959, with the statuesque Akiko Kojima, Japan, and the Asian continent, conquered their first Miss Universe and Grand Slam title. Miss World, on the other hand, had featured another blonde as its winner, a Dutch stunner called Corine Rottschaefer.
Since Japan failed to make the cut in Miss World, and the same happened to the Netherlands in Miss Universe, both countries scored the same 3001 points and became the 1959 Countries of the Year.
England/UK took the bronze medal, after placing 4th in both competitions: Miss England, Pamela Anne Searle, was 4th in Long Beach, and Miss UK, Anne Thelwell, was 4th in London.