Suvarna Garge (Editor)

1979 in Wales

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Centuries:
  
18th 19th 20th 21st

Decades:
  
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1979 to Wales and its people.

Contents

Incumbents

  • Prince of Wales – Charles
  • Princess of Wales – vacant
  • Secretary of State for Wales – John Morris (until 5 May); Nicholas Edwards
  • Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
  • Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Geraint

    • Events

  • 1 March - The devolution referendum rejects the Wales Act 1978 (which would have established a Welsh Assembly) by four to one.
  • The Parliamentary Select Committee on Welsh Affairs is established.
  • 7 June - In the elections for the European Parliament, Ann Clwyd and Win Griffiths are among the newly elected MEPs. Plaid Cymru win no seats.
  • 8 June - A Cessna aircraft crashes into a mountain in Snowdonia, killing all six occupants.
  • 12 December - Four holiday homes in rural Wales are the target of arson attacks by Welsh Nationalist political activists.
  • Annie Powell of Rhondda becomes Britain's first Communist mayor.

    • Awards

  • Michael Bogdanov is named "Director of the Year" for the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Taming of the Shrew.
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Caernarfon)
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Meirion Evans
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Robyn Lewis

    • New books

  • Gillian Clarke - The Sundial
  • Pennar Davies - Mabinogi Mwys
  • Wendy Davies - The Llandaff Charters
  • Marion Eames - I Hela Cnau
  • Christopher Evans - The Mighty Micro
  • Emyr Humphreys - The Best of Friends
  • Sian James - A Small Country
  • Dic Jones - Storom Awst
  • Tristan Jones - The Incredible Voyage
  • Anna Kashfi - Brando for Breakfast
  • Leslie Norris - Sliding
  • John Rowlands - Tician, Tician
  • Gwyn Alf Williams - The Merthyr Rising
  • Raymond Williams - The Fight for Manod

    • Music

  • Dave Edmunds - Repeat When Necessary (album)
  • Bonnie Tyler - Diamond Cut (album)

    • Film

  • Rachel Roberts wins the BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Yanks.
  • Emlyn Williams' play, The Corn is Green, is filmed for the second time, starring Katharine Hepburn.

    • Broadcasting

  • BBC Radio Cymru is launched.
  • New Home Secretary William Whitelaw rejects the idea of a Welsh fourth channel on behalf of the Conservative government.

    • English-language television

  • Colin Jeavons stars in Dennis Potter's classic play, Blue Remembered Hills.

    • Sport

  • Boxing - Pat Thomas wins the British Light-middleweight title
  • Rugby union - Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
  • Snooker - Terry Griffiths wins the World Championship in his first year as a professional.

    • Births

  • 21 February – Laura Anne Jones AM, politician
  • 26 February – Steve Evans, footballer
  • 17 May – Michaela Breeze, weightlifting champion
  • 3 June – Christian Malcolm, athlete
  • 4 June – Celyn Jones, actor
  • 13 July – Craig Bellamy, footballer
  • 1 August- Honeysuckle Weeks. actor
  • 8 August – Danny Gabbidon, footballer
  • Jonathan Edwards, poet

    • Deaths

  • January – Dilys Cadwaladr, poet, 76
  • 7 February – Charles Tunnicliffe, painter on Anglesey, 77
  • 15 April (in Surrey) – Eiluned Lewis, novelist, 78
  • 14 May – Jean Rhys, novelist, 88
  • 10 October (in Teddington) – Christopher Evans, computer scientist, 48
  • 12 December – Goronwy Rees, writer, 70?
  • 20 December - Leslie Gilbert Illingworth, political cartoonist, 77
  • 21 December – Nansi Richards, harpist, 91
  • 29 December – Richard Tecwyn Williams, biochemist, 70
  • date unknown
  • Hugh Bevan, academic
  • Dilys Davies, actress
  • Harold Finch, politician
  • Trebor Lloyd Evans, writer
  • Jennie Thomas, children's author

    • References

    1979 in Wales Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA