1958 in Wales

Incumbents

Prince of Wales – Charles (from 26 July)

Princess of Wales – vacant

Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth

Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – William Morris

Events

18 January - Nigel Birch resigns as Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

5 February - The Wales national football team qualifies for this summer's World Cup in Sweden under the management of Jimmy Murphy.

6 February - Manchester United F.C., the English league champions where Jimmy Murphy is also assistant manager, are involved in a plane crash in Munich, West Germany, on the journey home from a European Cup tie in Yugoslavia. Seven United players are among the 21 people who die, but among the survivors is Swansea born winger Kenny Morgans.

25 February - The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is launched by Bertrand Russell.

6 May - Murderer Vivian Teed is hanged by Robert Leslie Stewart in Swansea Prison - the last execution to take place in Wales.

19 June - Wales are knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals, losing to Brazil.

26 July - At the Empire Games in Cardiff, the Queen announces that her son, The Prince Charles, is to be created Prince of Wales.

6 August - Daniel Granville West becomes the first Welsh life peer.

18 August - Regional postage stamps of Great Britain are first issued.

24 October - Huw T. Edwards announces his resignation from the chair of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in protest at the decision to flood the Tryweryn valley.

13 December - New road bridge across the River Conway at Conway supersedes Telford's suspension bridge.

Thomas Parry becomes Principal of University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ebbw Vale)

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - T. Llew Jones

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Llew Jones

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Edward Cynolwyn Pugh

New books

Tom Beynon - Howell Harris, Reformer and Soldier

Brenda Chamberlain - The Green Heart

Aneirin Talfan Davies - Englynion a Chywyddau

Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Blas y Cynfyd

Paul Ferris - A Changed Man

Cyril Fox - Pattern and purpose: a study of early Celtic art in Britain

Peter George - Red Alert

Emyr Humphreys - A Toy Epic

Bobi Jones - Nid yw Dwr yn Plygu

D. Gwenallt Jones - Cofiant Idwal Jones

T. Llew Jones - Trysor Plas y wernen and Merched y môr a chwedlau eraill

Bertrand Russell - Understanding History and Other Essays

Ernest Llwyd Williams - Crwydro Sir Benfro

Raymond Williams - Culture and Society

New drama

George Fisher - Y Ferch a'r Dewin

John Gwilym Jones - Lle Mynno'r Gwynt

Saunders Lewis - Brad

Music

Daniel Jones - The Country Beyond the Stars (cantata)

Ian Parrott - Cor Anglais concerto

Film

Richard Burton stars in the film version of Look Back in Anger.

Ronald Lewis co-stars in The Wind Cannot Read.

Broadcasting

In order to broadcast the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from Cardiff, a broadcasting centre is set up on the bank of the River Taff, near Cardiff Arms Park.

Welsh-language television

Commercial TV becomes available in Wales, broadcasting some Welsh-language programmes, such as Amser Te.

English-language television

Gwlad y Gân / Land of Song, with Ivor Emmanuel and Sian Hopkins

Sports

British Empire and Commonwealth Games (held in Cardiff):

Wales' single gold medal is won by Howard Winstone in the bantamweight boxing competition.

Silver medals are won by: John Merriman (6 miles), Malcolm Collins (featherweight boxing), and Robert Higgins (light-heavyweight boxing).

Due to being on National Service in the British Army, Swansea fighter Brian Curvis competed in the games for England, winning a bronze medal at welterweight.

Football - Wales reaches the quarter-finals of the World Cup, being knocked out by a goal from Pelé.

Gymnastics - Margaret Neale of Cardiff is the British Women's Champion for the second year running.

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Howard Winstone

Births

4 January - Gary Jones, actor

2 March - Ian Woosnam, golfer

30 April - Claire Curtis-Thomas, politician

17 May - Paul Whitehouse, actor, writer and comedian

3 July - Siân Lloyd, television presenter

18 July - Chris Ruane, politician

19 July - Angharad Tomos, author

3 September (in Totnes) - Tamsin Dunwoody, politician

16 September - Neville Southall, footballer

4 October - Anneka Rice, television presenter

24 November - Robin Llywelyn, novelist

date unknown - Caryl Parry Jones, singer

Deaths

31 January - Edgar Long, Wales international rugby player

6 February - Charles Langbridge Morgan, novelist and dramatist, 64

11 February - Ernest Jones, psychoanalyst, 79

3 April - John Strand-Jones, Wales international rugby union player

19 April - Billy Meredith, footballer, 83

18 July - Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player, 77

20 July - Margaret Haig Thomas, Viscountess Rhondda, political campaigner and businesswoman, 75

29 August - Harry Beadles, international footballer, 60

25 September - Henry Arthur Evans, politician, 60

9 October - Sven Hansen, ship-owner, 82

30 October - Tommy Vile, Welsh international rugby player, 76

4 November - Dick Jones, Welsh international rugby player, 78

30 November (in Manchester) - Gareth Jones, actor, 33

date unknown - Ivor Lewis, Welsh-Canadian artist, 76