1969 in Wales

← 1968 1967 1966 1969 in Wales → 1970 1971 1972
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1969 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • E. Gwyndaf Evans (outgoing)
  • Tilsli (incoming)

Events

• 1 April – Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.
• 22 May – Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.
• 1 June – The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
• 11 June – The Prince of Wales' new standard is flown for the first time.
• 20 June – Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.
• 30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.^[1]
• 1 July
  • The Prince of Wales, is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.
  • Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
• 3 July – Swansea is granted city status.
• 25 July – The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
• 22 August – Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.
• November – Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea. A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.

Arts and literature

• Dafydd Iwan co-founds Sain Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.

Drama

• Urien Wiliam – Cawl Cennin

Poetry

• John Fitzgerald – Cadwyn Cenedl
• Gwilym R. Jones – Cerddi
• John Ormond – Requiem and Celebration
• Penguin Book of Welsh Verse

Film

Broadcasting

• Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) publishes a pamphlet entitled Broadcasting in Wales: To Enrich or Destroy Our National Life?

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Tony Lewis
• Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.
• Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
• football – Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

Births

• 6 January – Nicholas A'Hern, race walker
• 20 January – Nicky Wire, musician
• 5 February – Michael Sheen, actor
• 13 February – Gareth Abraham, footballer
• 21 February – James Dean Bradfield, musician
• 24 February – Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
• 1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, musician
• 11 April – Cerys Matthews, singer
• 4 June – Julie Gardner, television producer
• 26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete
• 4 August – Tony Roberts, footballer
• 4 September – Sasha, DJ and record producer
• 8 September – Gary Speed, footballer and national manager (suicide 2011)
• 25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
• 8 October – David Abruzzese, footballer
• 23 October – Chris Fry, footballer
• 6 December – Anthony Davies, snooker player
• date unknown – Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

• 20 January – Roy Evans, footballer, 25 (car crash)
• 14 February – Ernest Roberts, politician, 78
• 10 March – Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76
• 27 March – David Lloyd, tenor, 56
• 31 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82
• 5 April – Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50
• 15 April – Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66
• 4 May – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 21 May – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75
• 28 May – Rhys Williams, actor, 71
• 7 July – William David Davies, theologian, 72
• 19 August – Percy Thomas, architect, 85
• 1 October – Dai Richards, footballer, 62
• 18 October – Emrys Hughes, politician, 75
• 21 November – D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78
• 7 December
  • Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60
  • (in London) Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65
• 20 December – Eleanor Evans, singer, 76

See also

• 1969 in Northern Ireland

References