Harman Patil (Editor)

1962 in Wales

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Centuries:
  
18th 19th 20th 21st

Decades:
  
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1962 to Wales and its people.

Contents

Incumbents

  • Prince of Wales – Charles
  • Princess of Wales – vacant
  • Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
  • Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin

    • Events

  • January–April – An outbreak of smallpox infects 45 people and kills 17 in Cardiff and district; 900,000 people in south Wales are vaccinated against the disease.
  • 15 May - Emlyn Hooson wins the Montgomeryshire by-election brought about by the death of Clement Davies. In the run-up to the by-election, the "Elvis Rock" is painted with the graffiti "Elis" by supporters of Plaid Cymru candidate Islwyn Ffowc Elis.
  • 20 July – The world's first regular passenger hovercraft service is introduced between Rhyl and Wallasey.
  • 4 August – Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, is founded.
  • September – Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, the first Welsh-medium secondary school in south Wales, opens its doors.
  • 19 September – Atlantic College opens its doors for the first time at St Donat's Castle, marking the birth of the pioneering United World College educational movement.
  • 26 October – Opening of Richard Thomas and Baldwins's new steelworks at Llanwern near Newport.
  • 28 October – Chepstow Railway Bridge rebuilding completed.
  • Cardiff Zoo opened.

    • Arts and literature

  • 21 March - Actress Rachel Roberts marries Rex Harrison in Genoa.
  • Welsh National Opera launches a training scheme for singers.
  • Dick Francis publishes his first thriller, Dead Cert.

    • Awards

  • National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llanelli)
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Caradog Prichard
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - D. Emlyn Lewis
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - William Owen

    • New books

  • Clifford Dyment - The Railway Game
  • John Roberts Evans - Ar Drothwy'r Nos
  • William Evans (Wil Ifan) - Colofnau Wil Ifan
  • Michael Foot - Aneurin Bevan, vol. 1
  • Menna Gallie - The Small Mine
  • Llewelyn Wyn Griffith - The Adventures of Pryderi
  • Oxford Book of Welsh Verse
  • Gwyn Thomas - Chwerwder yn y Ffynhonnau
  • Norman Thomas - Ask at the Unicorn
  • Raymond Williams - Communications

    • Music

  • Dilys Elwyn-Edwards - Caneuon y Tri Aderyn
  • Alun Hoddinott - Folksong Suite
  • William Mathias - Postlude
  • Grace Williams - Four Medieval Welsh Poems for alto, harp and harpsichord
  • David Wynne - Cymric Rhapsodies

    • Film

  • Richard Burton and Donald Houston appear in The Longest Day.
  • Peter Greenaway makes his first film: Death of Sentiment.
  • Jack Howells makes the short documentary Dylan Thomas featuring Richard Burton.

    • Welsh-language radio

  • 13 February - Saunders Lewis gives the Welsh Home Service’s Annual Lecture, entitled Tynged yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language).

    • Television

  • 14 September - The first transmitter, at Preseli, of the Teledu Cymru - Wales (West and North) Television service comes on air.

    • English-language television

  • 17 September - First edition of the Welsh national news programme BBC Wales Today.

    • Sport

  • Football - John Charles returns to Leeds United from several years playing for Italian clubs.
  • Golf - Brian Huggett wins the Dutch Open championship.
  • BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Ivor Allchurch

    • Births

  • 5 January - Geraint Williams, footballer
  • 11 January - Chris Bryant, politician
  • 16 January - Bethan Gwanas, Welsh-language writer
  • 27 June - Michael Ball, singer
  • 22 August - Iolo Williams, naturalist and TV presenter
  • 28 August - David Melding, politician
  • 15 September - Kevin Allen, actor, comedian and film director
  • 22 July - Arthur Emyr, rugby player and television presenter and executive
  • 22 August - Iolo Williams, naturalist and broadcaster
  • 5 September - Peter Wingfield, actor
  • 15 October - Mark Ring, rugby player
  • 24 October - Jonathan Davies, rugby player
  • 12 December - John Jones, record producer
  • 31 December - Chris Hallam, wheelchair athlete
  • date unknown
  • Fiona Bennett, composer
  • Sioned Wiliam, broadcaster, writer and producer

    • Deaths

  • 26 January - George Jeffreys, founder of the Elim Pentecostal Church, 72
  • 11 February - John Edward Daniel, theologian, chairman of Plaid Cymru, 59 (road accident)
  • 14 February - Ezer Griffiths, physicist, 73
  • 27 February - Albert Rhys Williams, Welsh-American journalist, labour organiser, and publicist, 78
  • 23 March - Clement Davies, politician, 80
  • April - Edgar Morgan, rugby union player, 80
  • 25 April - Herbie Baxter, Glamorgan cricketer, 79
  • 30 April - Charles Williams, Anglican priest and academic, 55
  • 11 May - Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and author, 82
  • 16 June - Edgar Rees Jones, barrister and politician, 83
  • 3 August - Edgar Phillips, poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, 72
  • 23 August - Robert Bye, VC recipient, 72
  • 23 September - Margaret Jane Gordon (Lady Gordon), singer, 82
  • 5 November (in London) - Percy Cudlipp, journalist, 56
  • 30 November - Lewis Pugh Evans, Victoria Cross recipient, 81
  • 15 December - Charles Rhys, 8th Baron Dynevor, politician, 63
  • 17 December - Lonza Bowdler, Wales international rugby player, 61
  • 21 December - Gary Hocking, motorcycle road racer, 25 (racing accident)

    • References

    1962 in Wales Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA