Beauty through history: 11 "Miss World" beauty queens

Marita Lindahl (17 October 1938 – 21 March 2017) was a Finnish model and beauty queen who won the 1957 Miss World beauty pageant, after being crowned Miss Finland 1957. She became the first woman from Finland to win the title. She was described as having "the haunting beauty and intrigue of a Greta Garbo".

Corine Spier-Rottschäfer (born 8 May 1938) in Hoorn, Netherlands is a model and beauty queen who won the 1959 Miss World contest, representing the Netherlands. She was the first woman from her country to win the title. After a successful international career in modeling, she started her own model agency in Amsterdam.

Catharina Johanna Lodders (born 18 August 1942 in Haarlem) is a Dutch model and beauty queen who won the 1962 Miss World contest, representing the Netherlands. Upon winning the contest, she is quoted as saying "I don't think I'm the most beautiful girl in the world — I am the most beautiful girl here". On 12 December 1963, Lodders accepted the marriage proposal of a 22-year-old American millionaire singer Chubby Checker.

Ann Sidney (born 27 March 1944) is a British actress, TV Host and beauty queen who won the 1964 Miss World contest representing the United Kingdom. Sidney became the second woman from her country to win the title. During her reign as Miss World, she traveled around the world five times and joined Bob Hope on his USO (an American nonprofit-charitable corporation) tour of Asia.

Madeline Hartog-Bel (born 12 June 1946) is a Peruvian model and beauty queen who won the 1967 Miss World contest, representing Peru. After Miss World, she lived in Paris, France for many years, and now she resides in a South Florida island. She is married and has a daughter.

Mary Ann-Catrin Stävin (born 20 August 1957) is a Swedish actress and model who won Miss World 1977 in London. Probably you know her as an Octopussy girl from a 1983 spy film “Octopussy” or as agent Kimberley Jones from “A View to a Kill” (1985). In addition to acting, Stävin released the exercise album “Shape Up and Dance” with George Best, a Northern Irish professional footballer.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant. Through her successful acting career, she has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India. Her off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organizations and campaigns.

Agbani Darego (born 22 December 1982) is a Nigerian model and beauty pageant queen who was crowned Miss World in 2001. She was the first native African to win Miss World. Darego's victory was widely welcomed in her home country, and her one-year tenure included goodwill trips and scheduled appearances on behalf of the pageant.

Ksenia Sukhinova (born 26 August 1987) is a Russian model, television host, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2008. She is a fan of sports and has been doing calisthenics, swimming, and biathlon since childhood. In a press conference after her victory, she said: "I am very glad to have brought this crown to Russia. I am proud that it is Russia that got the crown and I devote my victory to the whole country and to its every citizen... and to my grandmother."

Stephanie Del Valle (born December 30, 1996) is a Puerto Rican musician, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2016. Del Valle is attending Pace University in New York City, where she is studying Law and also Communication. Del Valle speaks three languages: Spanish, English, and French.

Manushi Chhillar (born 14 May 1997) is an Indian actress, model and the winner of Miss World 2017. During her reign, she mostly did charity work around the world. As Miss World, she lived in England and visited China (three times), Hong Kong, Indonesia, the British Virgin Islands, the Philippines (twice), Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States (twice), France and her native country, India.