1999 in Wales

Incumbents

Prince of Wales – Charles

Princess of Wales – vacant

First Secretary - Alun Michael (from 12 May)

Secretary of State for Wales

Alun Michael (until 28 July)

Paul Murphy

Archbishop of Wales

Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph (retired)

Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)

Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales

Dafydd Rowlands (outgoing)

Meirion Evans (incoming)

Events

January

Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain Iceland.

Opening of the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay, Wales's first 5-star hotel.

February - Outbreak of meningitis in the Pontypridd area.

March - West Wales and the Valleys is designated an Objective 1 region within the European Community.

6 May - First elections to the National Assembly for Wales.

10 May - The Queen attends a gala concert in Cardiff Bay to celebrate the opening of the Welsh Assembly.

25 May - Last pit pony works in the South Wales coalfield, 'Robbie' at Pant y Gasseg, Pontypool.

June

The Clydach murders: four members of the same family are found bludgeoned to death.

Eight children in north Wales are taken ill with E. coli poisoning.

July - Bryncelyn Brewery begins brewing.

December - Hyder cuts 1000 jobs after being forced to make cuts in their charges for electricity and water.

19 December - Charlotte Church makes her debut as a television actress in Heartbeat.

Main construction work on Cardiff Bay Barrage completed.

Arts and literature

Cysgod y Cryman by Islwyn Ffowc Elis is voted the most significant Welsh language book of the 20th century.

Sir Harry Secombe suffers a second stroke, which forces him to give up his television career.

Mary Hopkin joins The Chieftains on their UK tour.

Dick Francis: A Racing Life, an unauthorised biography, suggests that his books were written by his wife Mary.

Kyffin Williams is knighted for his services to the arts.

Swansea Grand Theatre becomes the base for the Ballet Russe company.

Awards

Cardiff Singer of the World - Anja Harteros

Glyndŵr Award - Gillian Clarke

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Gwenallt Lloyd Ifan

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Ifor ap Glyn

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Sonia Edwards

Wales Book of the Year:

English language: Emyr Humphreys - The Gift of a Daughter

Welsh language: R. M. Jones - Ysbryd y Cwlwm: Delwedd y Genedl yn ein Llenyddiaeth

Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Ann Pierce Jones: Fflamio

New books

Richard Booth - My Kingdom of Books

Greg Cullen - Paul Robeson Knew My Father (play)

Grahame Davies - Sefyll yn y Bwlch

Paul Ferris - Infidelity

Patrick Hannan - The Welsh Illusion

Craig Thomas - Slipping into Shadow

Music

Gillian Elisa - Haul ar Nos Hir (album)

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Spanish Dance Troupe (album)

Karl Jenkins - The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace

Film

Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars in Entrapment.

Welsh-language films

Cymer Dy Siâr

Porc Pei (Pork Pie)

Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan Gruffudd

Broadcasting

May - Huw Edwards begins presenting the BBC Six O'Clock News.

Welsh-language television

Y Palmant Aur (drama)

Yno o hyd (documentary)

Tri Tenor - Gala concert with performances by Welsh tenors Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rhys Meirion and Timothy Richards

Catrin Finch (documentary)

Ponteifi (sitcom)

English-language television

Sea of Troubles (documentary)

House of the Future (documentary by Malcolm Parry)

Barry Welsh is Coming (winner of the BAFTA Wales Award for Light Entertainment)

Belonging (BBC Wales)

The Big Picture (presented by Peter Lord)

Sport

The Rugby Union World Cup is hosted by Wales, with the final being held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 6 November. Australia are the winning team.

UWIC Inter Cardiff are Welsh Cup winners after beating Carmarthen Town on penalties.

Barry Town win their fourth successive League of Wales title.

Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Penrhiwceiber Rangers (Division 2) & Caerleon (Division 3).

Flexsys Cefn Druids are champions of the Cymru Alliance.

AFC Llwydcoed and Garden Village are promoted to the Welsh Football League.

Deaths

3 February (in London) - Alfred Janes, artist, 87

8 February - Meredith Edwards, actor, 81

16 February - Don Hayward, Wales and British Lions international rugby player, 73

17 February – John Lansdown, computer graphics pioneer, 70

11 April - Alan Evans, darts player, 49

6 May - Johnny Morris, television presenter, 82

11 May - Robert Thomas, sculptor, 72

5 September - Ivor Roberts, former TWW presenter, 74

22 September - Clive Jenkins, trade union leader, 73

24 October - Howard Griffiths, screenwriter, 64

15 November - Sir Harry Llewellyn, equestrian champion, 88

27 November - Ernest Zobole, artist, 72

6 December - Gwyn Jones, writer, 92

19 December - Desmond Llewelyn, actor, 85 (car accident)

23 December - Eirene White, politician, 90