Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1975 Ava Marilyn Thompson (nee Burke) in native costume (far left) with other Miss World
contestants. Next is Miss Barbados, Miss Belguim and Miss Bermuda in what I think is a Police Officer (Woman) Costume
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The Miss World contest is celebrating it's 60th anniversary this year on October 30th 2010 Sanya China.
The
Bahamas has competed every year since 1966, missing only the years 1967,
1996 and 2001. In 1966 the local Jaycee organization held a contest called,
Miss Jaycee Bahamas in order to select a representative for Miss World for The Bahamas. The winner was Dorothy Horton (nee Cooper). She was the
1st Bahamian to compete in Miss World.
This was a one-time event. In
1968 the Miss International Bahamas committee was formed, and a few years
later the name was changed to Miss Commonwealth Bahamas. The 1st winner
was Rose Simms Dauchot; she was 25 and married. Back then Miss World
allowed married contestants. Rose was the only married contestant at
Miss World 1968.
In 1973 Miss Commonwealth Bahamas Deborah "Debbie"
Louise Issacs won the talent contest at Miss World. Back then the talent
contest was held just for fun having been started the year before in
1972.
Ava Marilyn Thompson was Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1975 and competed in Miss World 1975
at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Ava later won Miss Bahamas
1981 and at the 1982 Miss Universe contest in Lima Peru she won the Miss
Photogenic Award. Until this year 2010 she was the only Bahamian to
have competed in both Miss World and Miss Universe. As of 2010 the
winners of Miss Bahamas will compete in both Miss Universe and Miss
World in the same year. Nadia Castiglia (nee Rodgers Albury) almost
competed in both contests. Nadia was the last Miss Commonwealth Bahamas in
1998. That year the organisation lost the Miss World franchise to the
Miss Bahamas committee based in Freeport who had the franchise until
2004. Nadia went on to win Miss Bahamas Universe in 2002 and competed in
Miss Universe 2002 in Baymon Puerto Rico.
In 1992 Miss Commonwealth Bahamas, Jody
Barbara Weech became the first queen to make the Top 10 at Miss World
winning the Miss World Caribbean title.
And now, this year's Miss Bahamas, Braneka
Bassett is currently in China competing for the title.
1st three
photo sets show the Bahamas Miss World represenatives from 1966 - 2009.
The 2nd photo shows Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1975 Ava Marilyn
Thompson (nee Burke) in native costume with other Miss World
contestants and fifth photo Braneka Bassett the Bahamas current queen 2010.
The following 3 SETS of photos
show the Bahamas Miss World represenatives from 1966 - 2009
This year's Miss Bahamas, Braneka Bassett
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