1987 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1987 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
*Princess of Wales - Diana, Princess of Wales
*Secretary of State for Wales - Peter Walker
*Archbishop of Wales - George Noakes

Events

*12 January - The lowest daytime maximum temperature ever recorded in Wales ( -8.0 °C) is recorded at Trecastle, Powys.
*24 May - Neil Kinnock is interviewed by David Frost about Labour's defence policy and plans for government.
*11 June - In the general election
**Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones wins the seat of Ynys Môn from the Conservatives. Plaid retain their other two parliamentary seats.
**Alun Michael replaces James Callaghan as MP for Cardiff South.
**Labour's Paul Flynn wins back Newport West from the Conservatives.
*October - Flooding affects many parts of Wales. Four people are killed when a train falls into the River Tywi at Glanrhyd.
*October - Keith Best, former Conservative MP for Ynys Môn, is sentenced to four months' imprisonment for share-dealing activities, but only serves five days.
*The Welsh language is used within the Vatican for the first time on an official occasion, as part of a beatification ceremony for three Welsh martyrs.
*A planning application is turned down at Llanrhaeadr, Clwyd, on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the Welsh language. It is the first time such a decision has ever been made.
*The Roman Catholic Church in Wales creates a new Diocese of Wrexham and moves the Diocese of Menevia to Swansea.
*Creation of the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation.
*Roy Jenkins becomes Baron Jenkins of Hillhead and is elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Arts and literature

*Jim Burns becomes the first non-American to win the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Porthmadog)

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Ieuan Wyn
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - John Griffith Jones
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Margiad Williams

New books

*Dannie Abse - "Ask the Bloody Horse"
*Euros Bowen - "Oes y Medwsa"
*Rees Davies - "Wales: The Age Of Conquest, 1063-1415"
*Stephen Gregory - "The Cormorant"
*Douglas Houston - "With the Offal Eaters"
*Nesta Wyn Jones - "Rhwng Chwerthin a Chrio"
*Alan Llwyd - "Barddoniaeth y Chwedegau"
*Gwylon Phillips - "Llofruddiaeth Shadrach Lewis"
*J. Beverley Smith - "Llywelyn ap Gruffudd"
*Frances Thomas - "Seeing Things"
*Peter Thomas - "Strangers from a Secret Land"
*R. S. Thomas - "Welsh Airs"
*Rhydwen Williams - "Amser i Wylo"

Music

*Anrhefn - "Defaid Skateboard a Wellies"
*The Alarm - "Eye Of The Hurricane" (album)
*Frank Hennessy - "Thoughts and Memories" (album)
*Karl Wallinger - "Private Revolution" (album)

Film

*Christian Bale stars in "Empire of the Sun".
*Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond in "The Living Daylights".

Welsh-language films

*"Rhosyn a Rhith (Coming Up Roses)", directed by Stephen Bayly

Broadcasting

English-language radio

*John Humphrys becomes a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4's "Today programme".

Welsh-language television

*Ioan Gruffudd joins the cast of "Pobol y Cwm".

port

*Welsh Sports Personality of the Year - Ian Woosnam

Births

*21 January - Joe Ledley, footballer
*4 September - Mike O'Shea, cricketer

Deaths

*4 February - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, writer and broadcaster
*4 April - Richard Ithamar Aaron, philosopher
*22 May - Keidrych Rhys, poet and editor
*4 September - Richard Marquand, film director
*11 September - Hugh David, television director
*25 September - Emlyn Williams, dramatist and actor
*27 December - Anna Eliza Williams, oldest documented person in the world
*"date unknown"
**Dorothy Rees, politician
**Albert Clifford Williams, politician, Labour MP for Abertillery 1965–1970