Celebrating 50 years in 2009!

The first World Men's Curling Championship was held in 1959 in Scotland. Women launched their first global championship in 1979, and these two competitions were held separately until 1988. In 1989, both championships were combined for the first time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This continued until 2005, when the men's and women's world curling championships were once again played separately.

When the decision to separate the two championships was announced by the World Curling Federation almost four years ago, the Canadian Curling Association agreed at that time to alternately stage a men's and women's world event in Canada each year.

In addition, both championships underwent the following format changes:

• 12 countries competing instead of the previous 10
• Page Playoff System (1 vs 2, winner to final, loser to semi-final; 3 vs 4, winner to semifinal, loser eliminated), used at the Canadian men's and women's championships, was introduced to the world championships, replacing the WCF's traditional 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 semi –final pairings to determine the finalists.

The WCF, beginning in 2008, is adding a bronze medal game, which will see the loser of the semi-final playing against the loser of the 3 vs 4 page playoff game for the bronze medal.

Previously, the loser of the semi-final was awarded the bronze medal.

Since the mid 1990's, Canada has hosted 5 combined Ford World men's and women's championships (Brandon, 1995; Hamilton, 1996; Kamloops, 1998; Saint John, 1999; Winnipeg, 2003), two Ford World Women's Championships (Grand Prairie 2006, Vernon 2008) two Ford World Men's Curling Championships (Victoria 2005, Edmonton, 2007).

The 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship in Victoria, B.C. was won by Canada's Randy Ferbey. The 2005 women's world championship was contested in Paisley, Scotland and captured by Sweden's Anette Norberg.

The 2006 Ford World Women's Curling Championship hosted in Grande Prairie, Alberta, was won by Anette Norbert of Sweden. The 2006 men's world curling championship was played in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the winner was Davi Murdoch of Scotland.

The 2007 World Women's Championship was held in Amori, Japan, March 18 – 26 with Canada's Kelly Scott winning the gold. The Ford World Men's Curling Championships was played in Edmonton, Alberta April 1 – 9, with Canada's Glen Howard capturing his first world title as a skip.