1954 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1954 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
- vacant (Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, had not yet been officially designated with the title) - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
- vacant - Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
- John MorganJohn Morgan (bishop)John Morgan served as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon and subsequently as Bishop of Llandaff , in which post he was also enthroned on 21 September 1949 as Archbishop of Wales .... - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
- DyfnalltJohn Dyfnallt OwenRev. John Dyfnallt Owen , was a Welsh poet, and served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1954 until his death. He was often known simply by his bardic name, "Dyfnallt"....
Events
- June 19 - The Welsh Chess UnionWelsh Chess UnionThe Welsh Chess Union is the national chess federation for Wales. Formed on 19 June 1954 as a Union of Associations in South Wales and Monmouthshire, it was originally a part of the British Chess Federation . The Union established the Welsh Championship in 1955...
is founded. - Launch of the Empire News, the first Sunday newspaper to be published in Wales.
- Cardiff Airport opens near RhooseRhooseRhoose is a village and community located near the sea in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, near Barry.The village is the location of Cardiff International Airport, formerly RAF Rhoose, a Holiday Park , some shops, two public houses , Rhoose Social Club, and an active Surf Life Saving Club Rhoose is...
. - Gwyneth PhillipsGwyneth DunwoodyGwyneth Patricia Dunwoody was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe from 1974 to her death in 2008...
marries John DunwoodyJohn DunwoodyJohn Elliot Orr Dunwoody CBE was a British Labour politician.Dunwoody was educated at St Paul's School, then trained as a doctor at King's College London, and Westminster Hospital Medical School...
, continuing a dynasty of Labour politicians. - Gwilym Lloyd George becomes Minister for Welsh Affairs – the first Welshman to hold the position.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in YstradgynlaisYstradgynlaisYstradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Evans
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - E. Llwyd Williams
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Owen Elias Roberts
New books
- Dannie AbseDannie AbseDaniel Abse, better known as Dannie Abse , is a Welsh poet.-Early years:Abse was born in Cardiff, Wales to a Jewish family. He is the younger brother of politician and reformer Leo Abse and the eminent psychoanalyst, Wilfred Abse...
- Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve - Kingsley AmisKingsley AmisSir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
- Lucky Jim - Glyn DanielGlyn DanielGlyn Edmund Daniel was a Welsh scientist and archaeologist whose academic career at Cambridge University specialised in the European Neolithic period. He edited the academic journal Antiquity from 1958–1985...
- Welcome Death - Margiad EvansMargiad EvansMargiad Evans was the pseudonym of Peggy Eileen Whistler , a poet, novelist and illustrator with a lifelong identification with the Welsh border country.-Life and works:...
- The Nightingale Silenced - V. E. Nash-WilliamsVictor Erle Nash-WilliamsVictor Erle Nash-Williams was a noted Welsh archaeologist.Educated at the Lewis School, Pengam, and at the University College in Cardiff, he was appointed Keeper at the National Museum of Wales...
- The Roman Frontier in Wales - Eiluned LewisEiluned LewisEiluned Lewis was a Welsh novelist, poet and journalist.She was born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire in Wales. She was educated at Levana School, Wimbledon, and Westfield College London. She had a long period of work on the Sunday Times, becoming assistant editor...
- Honey Pots and Brandy Bottles - Bertrand RussellBertrand RussellBertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
- Nightmares of Eminent Persons and Other Stories - Dylan ThomasDylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
- Quite Early One Morning
Music
- Geraint EvansGeraint EvansSir Geraint Llewellyn Evans was a Welsh baritone or bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck...
stars in William WaltonWilliam WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
's new opera, Troilus and Cressida. - Alun HoddinottAlun HoddinottAlun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
- Clarinet Concerto (performed at the Cheltenham Festival by Gervase de PeyerGervase de PeyerGervase Alan de Peyer is an English clarinetist and conductor.-Professional career:Gervase de Peyer was born in London and attended Bedales School. He was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he studied clarinet with Frederick Thurston and piano with Arthur Alexander...
with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John BarbirolliJohn BarbirolliSir John Barbirolli, CH was an English conductor and cellist. Born in London, of Italian and French parentage, he grew up in a family of professional musicians. His father and grandfather were violinists...
). - Arwel HughesArwel HughesArwel Hughes OBE , was a Welsh orchestral conductor and composer.Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams and C. H. Kitson...
- Menna (opera) - Daniel JonesDaniel Jones (composer)Daniel Jenkyn Jones OBE was a composer of classical music, who worked in Britain. He used both serial and tonal techniques...
- Symphony no 4
Film
- Donald HoustonDonald HoustonDonald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful...
co-stars in Doctor in the HouseDoctor in the HouseDoctor in the House is a 1954 British comedy film, directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty Box. The screenplay, by Nicholas Phipps, Richard Gordon and Ronald Wilkinson, is based on the novel by Gordon, and follows a group of students through medical school.It was the most popular box office...
. - Ray MillandRay MillandRay Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
stars in Dial M for MurderDial M for MurderDial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
.
Sport
- FootballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- John CharlesJohn CharlesWilliam John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
finishes the 1953-54 season having scored 42 goals for Leeds United. - Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
win the Five Nations Championship1954 Five Nations ChampionshipThe 1954 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-fifth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixtieth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 9...
, but a loss against England prevents Wales lifting the Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
. - BBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearBBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearThe BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru Wales...
- Ken Jones
Births
- 5 January - Elgan ReesElgan ReesHarold Elgan Rees is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He toured with the British Lions to New Zealand in 1977, when he had yet to be capped by Wales, and South Africa in 1980 and at the time played club rugby for Neath...
, Wales international rugby player - 12 March - Chris NeedsChris NeedsChristopher Needs MBE is a radio broadcaster, currently working with BBC Radio Wales. He has been broadcasting for several years, and started his radio career with the Touch AM radio station before moving on to co-present the mid-morning magazine show Live Time on Radio Wales while also appearing...
, broadcaster - 13 March - Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron HarlechFrancis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron HarlechFrancis David Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech , is a peer in the United Kingdom.He succeeded his father, David Ormsby-Gore, as Baron Harlech in 1985. He sat as a Conservative member of the House of Lords until the removal of the hereditary peers in 1999...
- 17 March – Patricia "Trish" LawTrish LawPatricia Law, née Bolter was the Blaenau Gwent People's Voice AM for Blaenau Gwent in Wales between 2006 and 2011.-Background:...
AM, politician - 19 April - Jon Owen JonesJon Owen JonesJon Owen Jones is a Welsh politician. He was Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff Central from 1992 to 2005.-Early life:...
, politician - 28 May - Gwyn MorganGwyn Morgan (writer)Gwyn Morgan is a Welsh-language author.-Background and career:Born and raised in Trecynon near Aberdare, as the only son of Gilbert and Margaret Morgan....
, writer - 7 July - Mickey Thomas, Welsh international footballer
- 27 August - Bryn FônBryn FônBryn Fôn is a Welsh actor and singer-songwriter .- Biography :Fôn attended Ysgol Gynradd Llanllyfni and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle before going on to study physical exercise and environmental studies at college. He began his career in entertainment by taking part in the opera Dic Penderyn in 1977...
, singer and actor - 25 September - Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (Welsh politician)Gareth Thomas is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Clwyd West 1997-2005.-Early life:...
, politician - 13 October - Kim DaviesKim DaviesKim Davies was a Welsh cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played for Glamorgan. He was born in Clydach....
, cricketer - 13 November - Les Keen, Wales international rugby player
Deaths
- 6 March - William Davies ThomasWilliam Davies ThomasWilliam Davies Thomas was a Welsh academic who was a professor at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and the first Professor of English language and literature at University College, Swansea in Wales.-Life:...
, academic, 74 - 15 June
- William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose, 74
- Charles EdwardsCharles Edwards (UK politician)Sir Charles Edwards was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.Edwards was elected at the 1918 general election as Member of Parliament for the newly-created Bedwellty constituency in Monmouthshire...
, politician, 87
- 29 September - William John GruffyddWilliam John GruffyddProfessor William John Gruffydd was a Welsh academic, poet, writer, and politician.-Family and Education:...
, author and politician, 73 - 31 October - Rhys DaviesRhys Davies (politician)Rhys John Davies was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician.Davies was born in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, Wales, the son of Rhys and Ann Davies. After an elementary education he initially worked as a farm labourer. He subsequently moved to the Rhondda Valley, where he worked as a...
, trade unionist and politician, 77 - 8 November - Geoffrey CrawshayGeoffrey CrawshayCapt. Geoffrey Crawshay was a Welsh soldier and social benefactor who is most notable for his connections to rugby union.-Early life and military service:...
, soldier and social benefactor, 62 - 14 December - Cliff PritchardCliff PritchardCliff Pritchard was a Welsh international centre who played club rugby for Newport RFC and Pontypool RFC. Pritchard was capped on five occasions and scored two tries for his country...
, Welsh international rugby player, 73 - 22 December - Robert RichardsRobert Richards (Welsh politician)Robert Richards was a British Labour Party politician, who served as Member of Parliament for Wrexham in North Wales for three periods between 1929 and 1954....
, Welsh politician, 70