Miss International 1960
| Miss International 1960 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Stella Marquez | |
| Date | August 12, 1960 |
| Presenters | |
| Venue | Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States |
| Entrants | 52 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Debuts |
|
| Winner | Stella Márquez Colombia |
| Congeniality | Julia Ann Adamson British Guiana |
| Photogenic | Sigridur Geirsdottir Iceland |
Miss International 1960 was the first edition of the Miss International pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States, on 12 August 1960.[1] The was created due to internal conflicts with the Miss Universe pageant.[2]
At the end of the event, Stella Márquez of Colombia was crowned as the first Miss International.[1] It is the victory of Colombia in the pageant's history.
Contestants from fifty-two countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Byron Palmer.[3]
Background
Location and date
On 7 October 1959, Hank Meyer, city publicity director of Miami Beach, announced that the tenth anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant would be held in Miami Beach, Florida, instead of Long Beach, California in the United States. According to the Long Beach Beauty Congress, the competition had become "too commercialized" after the 1959 competition, leading them to withdraw their support for the pageant.[4][5] This decision led to the creation of a new beauty pageant by the Long Beach Beauty Congress.[6] Later, this contest was named the International Beauty Congress, which is now known as Miss International.
Selection of participants
Contestants from fifty-two countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Two contestants were selected to replace the original dethroned winners.
Replacements and withdrawals
Miss Denmark, Antje Moller, was disqualified after it was discovered that she is only 16, and was replaced by her runner-up, Sonja Menzel.[7][8]
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss International 1960 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 15 |
|
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
Miss Friendship
|
 British Guiana – Julia Ann Adamson
|
Miss Photogenic
|
 Iceland – Sigridur Geirsdóttir[11]
|
Miss Popularity
|
 Belgium – Caroline Lecerf[a]
|
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
Best in Playsuit
|
Day 1: Iceland – Sigridur Geirsdóttir Day 2:  England – Joyce KayDay 3:  United States – Charlene Lundberg
|
Best in Evening Gown
|
Day 1:  Colombia – Stella MárquezDay 2:  Poland – Marzena MalinowskaDay 3:  Norway – Lise Hammer
|
Best National Costume
|
Day 1:  Venezuela – Gladys AscanioDay 2: Iceland – Sigridur GeirsdóttirDay 3:  Ceylon – Yvonne Gunawardene
|
Contestants
Argentina – Slavica Lazaric
Australia – Joan Stanbury
Austria – Elizabeth Hodacs
Belgium – Caroline Lecerf
Bolivia – Edmy Arana Ayala
Brazil – Magda Renate Pfrimer
British Guiana – Julia Ann Adamson
Canada – Margaret Powell
Ceylon – Yvonne Eileen Gunawardene
Colombia – Stella Márquez
Denmark – Sonja Menzel
Ecuador – Magdalena Dávila Varela
England – Joyce Kay
Finland – Marketta Nieminen
France – Yvette Suzanne Degrémont
Greece – Kiki Kotsaridou
Holland – Katinka Bleeker
Hong Kong – Lena Woo
Iceland – Sigridur Geirsdóttir
India – Iona Pinto
Indonesia – Wiana Sulastini
Israel – Lili Dajani
Italy – Maria Grazia Jacomelli
Japan – Michiko Takagi
Jordan – Gulnar Tucktuck
Lebanon – Juliana Reptsik
Luxembourg – Liliane Mueller
Malaya – Zanariak Zena Ahmad
Morocco – Raymonde Valle
North Borneo – Elizabeth Voon
Norway – Lise Hammer
Paraguay – Gretel Hedger Carvallo[12]
Peru – Irma Vargas Fuller
Philippines – Edita Resurreccion Vital
Poland – Marzena Malinowska
Portugal – Maria Josabete Silva Santos
Puerto Rico – Carmen Sara Latimer
Singapore – Christl D'Cruz
South Africa – Nona Sherriff
South Korea – Kim Chung-ja
South Pacific – Patricia Apoliona (from Honolulu)
Spain – Elena Herrera Dávila-Núñez
Sweden – Gunilla Elm
Switzerland – Mylene Delapraz
Tahiti – Teura Marguerite Teuira
Taiwan – Janet Lin Chin-Yi[b]
Tunisia – Habiba Ben Abdallah
Turkey – Guler Kivrak
United States – Charlene Lundberg
Uruguay – Beatriz Liñares
Venezuela – Gladys Ascanio
West Germany – Helga Kirsch
Did not compete
Hawaii – Gordean Leilehua Lee (withdrew)
Yugoslavia – Tania Velic
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Srta. Colombia® 1959 María Stella Márquez" (in Spanish). Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Colombia. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ Associated Press (August 22, 1959). "Pageant shifted". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Long Beach, California. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ Lo, Ricky (30 November 2015). "The 1st Miss International pageant". Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ "Miss Universe Contest moving". The Royal Gazette. 8 October 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 14 October 2025 – via Bermuda National Library.
- ^ "May settle dispute over beauty pageant". Lewiston Evening Journal. 22 August 1959. p. 7. Retrieved 14 October 2025 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "New International Beauty Congress at Long Beach". The Royal Gazette. 2 September 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 14 October 2025 – via Bermuda National Library.
- ^ "Young Danish beauty loses trip to U.S." St. Joseph Gazette. 22 April 1960. p. 12. Retrieved 14 October 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Quartet of queens". The Windsor Star. 22 April 1960. p. 36. Retrieved 14 October 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Current Events". Current Events. Vol. 6. 1960. p. 78-81.
- ^ Ofer Aderet, 'Half-Breed': The Secrets of Miss Israel Finalist Born to an Arab Father and Jewish Mother Haaretz 5 September 2021
- ^ "Miss Photogenic". Lawton Constitution. Lawton, Oklahoma. August 11, 1960. p. 12. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "Latin Lovely Ardent Yoga Enthusiastic". Press Telegram. August 8, 1960. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
Miss International 1960 national titleholders | |
|---|---|
