The History of Miss World: The 1960s
The start of the next decade saw Norma Gladys Cappagli of Argentina winning the title. But
her path to the crown was not mishap-free. She enjoyed the odd scotch or two by way of a
night-cap and was consequently threatened with disqualification. But, proving that
"girl power" was alive and well in the 1960s, she demanded to know, "Where
does it say in the rules that I can be disqualified for having a late night drink if I
want one?" A point well put. The threat was withdrawn and she went on to win.
Girl power might have been alive and well but some sisters were doing it for themselves
and catty comments continued to rear their ugly head. In 1961, Susana Pardal of Argentina
complained that Inge Jorgensen of Denmark was no lady. "What does she think I am? A
man?" quipped Inge. Touché.
It was during the 1960s that another contestant had a brush with the law. In 1964,
Vedra Karasitas (Miss South Africa) was arrested on her return home. Unfortunately, poor
Vera had failed to appear in court on a parking summons. But it wasn't her fault. She was
in London at the time, and had no idea that she was due in court.
By the mid-1960s, a new kind of scandal was to rock the pageant like never before. Nude
photographs of two Miss Worlds were discovered. The ladies in question were Miss World
1965 (the UK's Lesley Langley) and Miss World 1969 (Sweden's Eva Von Ruber-Staier). Both
were embarrassed by the discovery but both had posed for the pictures before becoming Miss
World. For this reason they were not dethroned.
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