1969 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 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...
- 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... - 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 - Secretary of State for WalesSecretary of State for WalesThe Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
- George Thomas - 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...
- Glyn SimonGlyn SimonWilliam Glyn Hughes Simon was the Anglican Archbishop of Wales from 1968 to 1971.Simon was born in Swansea, where his father was curate at St Gabriel's church. He was baptised by David Lewis Prosser, later to become the third 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 :...
- TilsliGwilym TilsleyRev. Gwilym Richard Tilsley , commonly known by his bardic name of "Tilsli", was a Welsh poet who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales between 1969 and 1972....
Events
- 11 June - The 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...
's new standard is flown for the first time. - July - Closure of DinorwicDinorwic QuarryThe Dinorwic Slate Quarry is a large former slate quarry, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in north Wales. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world, after the neighbouring Penrhyn Quarry....
slate quarry. - 1 July
- 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...
, is invested with his title at CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
. - Six members of the Free Wales ArmyFree Wales ArmyThe Free Wales Army was a paramilitary Welsh nationalist organisation, formed in Lampeter, Mid Wales, by William Julian Cayo-Evans in 1963. Its objective was to establish an independent Welsh republic.-History:...
are convicted of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
- Charles, Prince of Wales
- 3 July - SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
is granted city status. - The longest cable carGondola liftA gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
system in the UK opens at LlandudnoLlandudnoLlandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
. - Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
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 SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. - The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
- Engineer Morien MorganMorien MorganSir Morien Bedford Morgan CB FRS, was a noted Welsh aeronautical engineer, sometimes known as "the Father Of Concorde"...
becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft EstablishmentRoyal Aircraft EstablishmentThe Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
at FarnboroughFarnborough, Hampshire-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
and is knighted.
Arts and literature
- Dafydd IwanDafydd IwanDafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
co-founds SainSainSain , in full – Recordiau Sain Cyf is a Welsh record label, which was in the Welsh folk revival....
Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in FlintFlint, FlintshireFlint is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Dee. It was the county town of the historic county of Flintshire and today is the third largest town in Flintshire. According to the 2001 Census the population of the community of Flint was 12,804...
)
- 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 DaviesPennar DaviesWilliam Thomas Pennar Davies was a Welsh clergyman and author.Born simply William Thomas Davies, in Mountain Ash , the son of a miner, he took the name "Pennar" "as a sign of his identification with the native culture of Wales"...
- Meibion Darogan - Rhys DaviesRhys DaviesRhys Davies was a Welsh novelist and short story writer, who wrote in the English language....
- Print of a Hare's Foot - T. Glynne DaviesT. Glynne DaviesThomas Glynne Davies , usually known as T. Glynne Davies, was a Welsh poet, novelist and television and radio broadcaster born in Llanrwst, Denbighshire, Wales.-Literary achievements:...
- Hedydd yn yr Haul - Raymond GarlickRaymond GarlickRaymond Garlick was an Anglo-Welsh poet and editor. Garlick was born in London, but grew up in Llandudno, and studied English literature at the University of Wales, Bangor. Whilst there, he converted to Roman Catholicism, although no longer a practising Catholic...
- A Sense of Europe - D. Gwenallt JonesD. Gwenallt JonesGwenallt , poet, critic, and scholar, was one of the most important figures of 20th-century Welsh-language literature.-Early life:...
- Y Coed - Glyn Jones - The Dragon Has Two Tongues
- T. J. MorganT. J. MorganThomas John Morgan , better known as T. J. Morgan, was a Welsh academic.He was born in the village of Glais, near Swansea, and he studied at Swansea University.In 1926, he met his future wife at the National Eisteddfod of Wales...
- Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill - Dennis Selby - Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor
- John Griffith Williams - Pigau'r Sêr
Poetry
- John FitzgeraldJohn Fitzgerald (poet)Fr John Fitzgerald was a Carmelite priest, poet and philosopher.-Life:John FitzGerald was a Carmelite monk and priest of Irish parentage, brought up in England, who learned Welsh and made it the language of his religious, intellectual and social life...
- Cadwyn Cenedl - Gwilym R. JonesGwilym R. JonesGwilym Richard Jones was the first person to have been awarded all three major literary awards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Jones was awarded the crown in 1935, the chair in 1938 and the prose medal in 1941...
- Cerddi - John OrmondJohn OrmondJohn Ormond , was a Welsh poet and filmmaker.Ormond was born in Dunvant, near Swansea, and was educated at Swansea University.He joined the staff of Picture Post in 1945. He returned to Swansea in 1949 and, in 1957, began what was to be a distinguished career with BBC Wales as a director and...
- Requiem and Celebration - Penguin Book of Welsh Verse
Albums
- Amen CornerAmen Corner (band)Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales.-Career:The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr...
- Explosive Company (album) - Blonde on BlondeBlonde on Blonde (band)Blonde on Blonde was a guitar-led psychedelic rock group from South Wales.The band was originally formed in Newport in 1967 by vocalist/guitarist Ralph Denyer, drummer Les Hicks, bassist/organist Richard Hopkins and guitarist/sitar player Gareth Johnson...
- Contrasts (album) - ManMan (band)Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
- 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle
Classical music
- Jeffrey LewisJeffrey LewisJeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
- Mutations I - Mansel ThomasMansel ThomasMansel Treharne Thomas OBE was a composer and conductor, who worked mainly in south Wales. He was one of the most influential musicians of his generation, known as a composer, conductor and adjudicator. He was for many years employed by the BBC and promoted the careers of many composers and...
- Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme - David Wynne - Cymric Rhapsody no. 2
English-language films
- Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
stars in Anne of the Thousand DaysAnne of the Thousand DaysAnne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn...
. - Hywel BennettHywel BennettHywel Thomas Bennett is a Welsh film and television actor. Bennett is best known for his recurring title role as James Shelley in the television sitcom Shelley from 1979 to 1984 and its sequel The Return of Shelley from 1988 to 1992....
stars in The Virgin SoldiersThe Virgin SoldiersThe Virgin Soldiers is a 1966 comic novel by Leslie Thomas, inspired by his own experiences of National Service in the British Army.The novel was turned into a film The Virgin Soldiers in 1969, directed by John Dexter, with a screenplay by the British screenwriter John Hopkins. It starred Hywel...
.
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 MadocPhilip MadocPhilip Madoc is a Welsh actor who has had many television and film roles.One prominent role was the title character in the BBC Wales drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George...
has roles in Manhunt!, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Champions and The Detective, among others.
Sport
- 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...
- Tony LewisTony LewisAnthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played county cricket for Glamorgan, and... - Cricket - GlamorganGlamorganGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
win the County Championship. - 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 ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and take 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...
.
Births
- 6 January - Nicholas A'HernNicholas A'HernNicholas A'Hern is a retired Australian race walker, who won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in both Victoria and Kuala Lumpur .-Achievements:- References :**...
, race walker - 20 January - Nicky WireNicky WireNicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
, musician - 5 February - Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
, actor - 21 February - James Dean BradfieldJames Dean BradfieldJames Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
, musician - 24 February - Gareth LlewellynGareth LlewellynGareth Llewellyn was born 27 February 1969 in St. David's Hospital Cardiff whilst his father was serving in Cardiff with the Army, is a Welsh rugby union player who gained a record 92 caps for Wales as a lock. His record for Wales caps has since been surpassed by Gareth Thomas, Colin Charvis,...
, rugby player - 1 March - Dafydd IeuanDafydd IeuanDafydd Ieuan is the drummer with the band, Super Furry Animals and The Peth. He currently lives in Cardiff with his wife Debbie, and their two children Cai and Lleucu....
, musician - 11 April - Cerys MatthewsCerys MatthewsCerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
, singer - 4 June - Julie GardnerJulie GardnerJulie Gardner is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of Doctor Who and its spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
, television producer - 26 July - Tanni Grey-ThompsonTanni Grey-ThompsonCarys Davina "Tanni" Grey-Thompson, Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter.Grey-Thompson was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. She is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK...
, wheelchair athlete - 4 August - Tony RobertsTony Roberts (footballer)Anthony Mark "Tony" Roberts is a Welsh footballer who plays for Dagenham & Redbridge as a goalkeeper.Roberts was formerly the goalkeeping coach at Championship side Queens Park Rangers until he was suspended by John Gregory...
, footballer - 4 September - SashaSasha (DJ)Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
, DJ and record producer - 25 September - Catherine Zeta-JonesCatherine Zeta-JonesCatherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
, actress - 8 October - David AbruzzeseDavid AbruzzeseDavid John Abruzzese is a Welsh former professional footballer. He represented Wales at Youth level....
, footballer - 23 October - Chris FryChris Fry (footballer)Christopher David Fry is a Welsh former professional footballer.-Career:Fry began his career at his hometown club Cardiff City, making his debut at the end of the 1988–89 season...
, footballer - 6 December - Anthony DaviesAnthony DaviesAnthony Davies is a former Welsh professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1991, and his best performance was at the 1995 Thailand Open, where he reached the quarter-finals. His highest professional break was 147, in the 1995 Thailand...
, snooker player - date unknown - Dyfed Wyn-EvansDyfed Wyn-EvansDyfed Wyn-Evans is a baritone opera singer who grew up in Dinas Powis, Glamorgan. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Vienna Conservatoire...
, operatic baritone
Deaths
- 20 January - Roy EvansRoy Evans (footballer born 1943)Royston Sidney "Roy" Evans was a Welsh international footballer who played professionally for Swansea City between 1962 and 1968, making 214 league appearances. Evans also played for Hereford United. Evans died in a car-crash on 20 January 1969, alongside Brian Purcell.-External links:*...
, footballer, 25 (car crash) - 14 February - Ernest RobertsErnest Roberts (Conservative politician)Ernest Handforth Goodman Roberts was a Welsh Conservative Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Flintshire from 1924 to 1929....
, politician, 78 - 10 March - Jimmy WildeJimmy WildeJimmy Wilde , was a Welsh world boxing champion. He was the first official world flyweight champion and was rated by American boxing writer Nat Fleischer, as well as many other professionals and fans including former boxer, trainer, manager and promoter, Charley 'Broadway' Rose, as "the greatest...
, boxer, 76 - 27 March - David LloydDavid Lloyd (tenor)David George Lloyd was a Welsh singer. Lloyd, a tenor, was noted for being one of the first Welsh solo singers to seek a broader audience beyond Wales, in the concert halls and recording studios of England, mainland Europe, and North America.During his lifetime, Lloyd was renowned in opera,...
, tenor, 56 - 31 March - Percy JonesPercy Jones (rugby player)Percy Jones was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Pontypool and Newport. He was awarded eight caps for Wales and faced the touring with South Africans...
, Wales international rugby player, 82 - 5 April - Mal GriffithsMal GriffithsWilliam Malwyn "Mal" Griffiths was a Welsh footballer who played as an outside right for Leicester City and Wales.Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Griffiths started out in local football before signing for Arsenal...
, footballer, 50 - 15 April - Cowboy Morgan EvansCowboy Morgan EvansCharles "Cowboy" Morgan Evans was an American champion rodeo sports cowboy and oil field worker from Texas who worked as a rancher and oil drilling foreman the majority of his life....
, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66 - 4 May - Albert StockAlbert StockAlbert Stock was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Newport. While with Newport, Stock faced three international touring teams and scored over a hundred tries for the club.-Rugby career:...
, Wales international rugby player, 72 - 21 May - Ben BeynonBen BeynonBenjamin "Ben" Beynon was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Swansea and would later play professional rugby league for Oldham RLFC. Beynon was also an association football player for Swansea Town....
, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75 - 28 May - Rhys WilliamsRhys Williams (actor)Rhys Williams was a Welsh character actor in movies and television, whose career spanned several decades.He made his film debut in How Green Was My Valley . This movie takes place in rural Wales with a large cast of Welsh characters, but was actually filmed in Hollywood with Canadian, American,...
, actor, 71 - 7 July - William David DaviesWilliam David DaviesWilliam David Davies, often known as W. D. P. Davies was a Welsh Presbyterian minister and writer on theological topics...
, theologian, 72 - 19 August - Percy ThomasPercy ThomasSir Percy Edward Thomas OBE , was an award-winning British architect based in Wales for the majority of his life. He was twice RIBA president ....
, architect, 85 - 1 October - Dai RichardsDai RichardsDavid Thomas "Dai" Richards was a Welsh professional footballer born in Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil, who played as a wing half. He made nearly 350 appearances in the Football League playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford, Birmingham and Walsall. With Wolverhampton Wanderers he won the...
, footballer, 62 - 18 October - Emrys HughesEmrys HughesEmrys Hughes was a Welsh Labour politician, best known for being the biographer and son-in-law of Keir Hardie, the Scottish Labour politician.Hughes was born in Tonypandy, Wales, the son of the Reverend J. R. Hughes...
, politician, 75 - 10 November - Tommy ReesTommy ReesThomas 'Tommy' Edgar Rees was a Welsh international rugby fullback who played rugby union at club level for London Welsh...
, Wales dual-code rugby player, 64 - 21 November - D. B. Wyndham-LewisD. B. Wyndham-LewisDominic Bevan Wyndham-Lewis FRSL was a British writer best known for his humorous contributions to newspapers and for biographies. His family were originally from Wales, but he was born in Liverpool and brought up in Cardiff...
, author, 78 - 7 December (in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) - Hugh WilliamsHugh WilliamsHugh Williams was an English actor and dramatist of Welsh descent.-Personal life:...
, dramatist, 65 - 20 December - Eleanor EvansEleanor EvansEleanor Evans was a Welsh actress, singer and stage director. She performed in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas for over a span of more than 20 years with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
, singer, 76