1969 in Wales

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

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"
*Secretary of State for Wales - George Thomas
*Archbishop of Wales - Glyn Simon
*Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Tilsli

Events

*11 June - The Prince of Wales's new standard is flown for the first time.
*1 July
**Charles, Prince of Wales, is invested with his title at Caernarfon.
**Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
*3 July - Swansea is granted city status.
*The longest cable car system in the UK opens at Llandudno.
*Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.
*The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
*Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea.
*The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
*Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and is knighted.

Arts and literature

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

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Flint)

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - James Nicholas
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Dafydd Rowlands
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Emyr Jones

New books

*Glyn Mills Ashton - "Angau yn y Crochan"
*Pennar Davies - "Meibion Darogan"
*Rhys Davies - "Print of a Hare's Foot"
*T. Glynne Davies - "Hedydd yn yr Haul"
*John Fitzgerald - "Cadwyn Cenedl"
*Raymond Garlick - "A Sense of Europe"
*D. Gwenallt Jones - "Y Coed"
*Glyn Jones - "The Dragon Has Two Tongues"
*Gwilym R. Jones - "Cerddi"
*T. J. Morgan - "Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill"
*John Ormond - "Requiem and Celebration"
*"Penguin Book of Welsh Verse"
*Dennis Selby - "Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor"
*John Griffith Williams - "Pigau'r Sêr"

Music

*Amen Corner - "Explosive Company" (album)
*Blonde on Blonde - "Contrasts" (album)
*Huw Jones - "Dŵr ("Water")" (protest song)
*Jeffrey Lewis - "Mutations I"
*Man - "2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle"
*David Wynne - "Cymric Rhapsody no. 2"

Film

English-language films

*Richard Burton stars in "Anne of the Thousand Days".
*Hywel Bennett stars in "The Virgin Soldiers".

Broadcasting

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

English-language television

*Philip Madoc has roles in "Manhunt!", "The Avengers", "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)", "The Champions" and "The Detective", among others.

Welsh-language television

*"Miri Mawr" (children's)

port

*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.

Births

*20 January - Nicky Wire, musician
*2 February - Michael Sheen, actor
*21 February - James Dean Bradfield, musician
*24 February - Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
*1 March - Dafydd Ieuan, musician
*11 April - Cerys Matthews, singer
*June - Julie Gardner, television producer
*26 July - Tanni Grey-Thompson, wheelchair athlete
*4 August - Tony Roberts, footballer
*4 September - Sasha, DJ and record producer
*25 September - Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
*8 October - David Abruzzese, footballer
*December - Anthony Davies, snooker player
*"date unknown" - Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

*10 March - Jimmy Wilde, boxer
*21 May - Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player
*28 May - Rhys Williams, actor
*18 October - Emrys Hughes, politician
*21 November - D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author
*7 December - Hugh Williams, dramatist
*"date unknown" - David Lloyd, singer
*"date unknown" - Percy Thomas, architect

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