1958 in Wales

← 1957 1956 1955 1958 in Wales → 1959 1960 1961
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1958 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1958 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Charles (from 26 July)
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – William Morris

Events

• 18 January – Nigel Birch resigns as Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
• 5 February – The Wales national football team qualifies for this summer's World Cup in Sweden under the management of Jimmy Murphy.^[1]
• 6 February – Manchester United F.C., the English league champions where Jimmy Murphy is also assistant manager, are involved in a plane crash in Munich, West Germany, on the journey home from a European Cup tie in Yugoslavia. Seven United players are among the 21 people who die, but among the survivors is Swansea born winger Kenny Morgans.^[2]
• 25 February – The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is launched by Bertrand Russell.
• 2 April – Accidental discovery of the Caernarfon Mithraeum.
• 6 May – Murderer Vivian Teed is hanged by Robert Leslie Stewart in Swansea Prison – the last execution to take place in Wales.
• 19 June – Wales are knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals, losing to Brazil.^[3]
• 26 July – At the Empire Games in Cardiff, the Queen announces that her son, The Prince Charles, is to be created Prince of Wales.
• 6 August – Daniel Granville West becomes the first Welsh life peer.
• 18 August
  • Accidental discovery of Brymbo Man (c.2000 BCE).
  • Regional postage stamps of Great Britain are first issued.
• 24 October – Huw T. Edwards announces his resignation from the chair of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in protest at the decision to flood the Tryweryn valley.
• 13 December – New road bridge across the River Conway at Conway supersedes Telford's suspension bridge.
• Thomas Parry becomes Principal of University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Arts and literature

Film

• Richard Burton stars in the film version of Look Back in Anger.
• Ronald Lewis co-stars in The Wind Cannot Read.

Broadcasting

• July – In order to broadcast the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from Cardiff, a broadcasting centre is set up on the bank of the River Taff, near Cardiff Arms Park.

Sports

• British Empire and Commonwealth Games (held in Cardiff):
  • Wales' single gold medal is won by Howard Winstone in the bantamweight boxing competition.
  • Silver medals are won by: John Merriman (6 miles), Malcolm Collins (featherweight boxing), and Robert Higgins (light-heavyweight boxing).
  • Due to being on National Service in the British Army, Swansea fighter Brian Curvis competed in the games for England, winning a bronze medal at welterweight.
• Football – Wales reaches the quarter-finals of the World Cup, being knocked out by a goal from Pelé.
• Gymnastics – Margaret Neale of Cardiff is the British Women's Champion for the second year running.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Howard Winstone

Births

• 4 January – Gary Jones, actor
• 2 March – Ian Woosnam, golfer
• 30 April – Claire Curtis-Thomas, politician
• 8 May – Aneirin Hughes, actor
• 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, actor, writer and comedian
• 3 July – Siân Lloyd, television presenter
• 18 July – Chris Ruane, politician
• 19 July – Angharad Tomos, author
• 3 September (in Totnes) – Tamsin Dunwoody, politician
• 16 September – Neville Southall, footballer
• 4 October – Anneka Rice, television presenter
• 24 November – Robin Llywelyn, novelist
• date unknown – Caryl Parry Jones, singer

Deaths

• 31 January – Edgar Long, Wales international rugby player
• 6 February – Charles Langbridge Morgan, novelist and dramatist, 64
• 11 February – Ernest Jones, psychoanalyst, 79
• 3 April – John Strand-Jones, Wales international rugby union player
• 19 April – Billy Meredith, footballer, 83
• 18 July – Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player, 77
• 20 July – Margaret Haig Thomas, Viscountess Rhondda, political campaigner and businesswoman, 75
• 29 August – Harry Beadles, international footballer, 60
• 25 September – Henry Arthur Evans, politician, 60
• 9 October – Sven Hansen, ship-owner, 82
• 30 October – Tommy Vile, Welsh international rugby player, 76
• 4 November – Dick Jones, Welsh international rugby player, 78
• 30 November (in Manchester) – Gareth Jones, actor, 33
• date unknown – Ivor Lewis, Welsh-Canadian artist, 76

See also

• 1958 in Northern Ireland

References