1969 in Wales

Incumbents

Prince of Wales – Charles

Princess of Wales – vacant

Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas

Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff

Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales

E. Gwyndaf Evans (outgoing)

Tilsli (incoming)

Events

1 April - Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.

22 May - Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.

1 June - The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.

11 June - The Prince of Wales' new standard is flown for the first time.

20 June - Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.

30 June - Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.

1 July

The Prince of Wales, is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.

Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.

3 July - Swansea is granted city status.

25 July - The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.

22 August - Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.

November - Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea. A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.

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

R. F. Delderfield - Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them

Raymond Garlick - A Sense of Europe

D. Gwenallt Jones - Y Coed

Glyn Jones - The Dragon Has Two Tongues

T. J. Morgan - 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

Drama

Urien Wiliam - Cawl Cennin

Poetry

John Fitzgerald - Cadwyn Cenedl

Gwilym R. Jones - Cerddi

John Ormond - Requiem and Celebration

Penguin Book of Welsh Verse

Albums

Amen Corner - Explosive Company (album)

Blonde on Blonde - Contrasts (album)

Man - 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle

Singles

Huw Jones - Dŵr ("Water") (protest song)

Classical music

Jeffrey Lewis - Mutations I

Mansel Thomas - Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme

David Wynne - Cymric Rhapsody no. 2

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)

Sport

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.

football - Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

Births

6 January - Nicholas A'Hern, race walker

20 January - Nicky Wire, musician

5 February - Michael Sheen, actor

13 February - Gareth Abraham, footballer

21 February - James Dean Bradfield, musician

24 February - Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player

1 March - Dafydd Ieuan, musician

11 April - Cerys Matthews, singer

4 June - Julie Gardner, television producer

26 July - Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete

4 August - Tony Roberts, footballer

4 September - Sasha, DJ and record producer

8 September - Gary Speed, footballer and national manager (suicide 2011)

25 September - Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress

8 October - David Abruzzese, footballer

23 October - Chris Fry, footballer

6 December - Anthony Davies, snooker player

date unknown - Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

20 January - Roy Evans, footballer, 25 (car crash)

14 February - Ernest Roberts, politician, 78

10 March - Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76

27 March - David Lloyd, tenor, 56

31 March - Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82

5 April - Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50

15 April - Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66

4 May - Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72

21 May - Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75

28 May - Rhys Williams, actor, 71

7 July - William David Davies, theologian, 72

19 August - Percy Thomas, architect, 85

1 October - Dai Richards, footballer, 62

18 October - Emrys Hughes, politician, 75

21 November - D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78

7 December

Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60

(in London) Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65

20 December - Eleanor Evans, singer, 76