1955 in Wales

1955 in Wales

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1955 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1955

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1955 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - vacant (Charles, Prince of Wales, had not been officially designated with the title)
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Archbishop of Wales - John Morgan
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Dyfnallt

Events

• 18 April–28 May - Sir Charles Evans leads the mountaineering expedition that conquers Kanchenjunga.
• 20 December - Cardiff becomes the official capital of Wales.
• The Farmers Union of Wales breaks away from the National Farmers Union.
• Kylie Minogue's mother, Carol Jones, emigrates from Maesteg to Australia.

Arts and literature

• The Gold Medal for Architecture is introduced to the National Eisteddfod.
• Bertrand Russell retires to Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyndeudraeth.
• The Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music is founded.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Pwllheli)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Gwilym Ceri Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - W. J. Gruffydd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - William Thomas Gruffydd

• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Award for Hear and Forgive.

New books

• Kingsley Amis - That Uncertain Feeling
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll
• (Edwin) Stuart Evans - Elegy for the Death of a Clown
• Gwilym Thomas Hughes - Ei Seren tan Gwmwl
• Elisabeth Inglis-Jones - The Story of Wales
• Dylan Thomas - A Child's Christmas in Wales (posthumously published)
• Richard Vaughan - Son of Justin

New drama

• Saunders Lewis - Siwan

Music

• Grace Williams - Penillion

Film

• Stanley Baker plays Richmond in Laurence Olivier's film of Richard III.
• The Constant Husband, starring Rex Harrison, includes some Welsh dialogue.

Broadcasting

• The Welsh Home Service becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe

Welsh-language television

• January - First televised Welsh-language play, Cap Wil Tomos

Sport

• Cricket - Wilf Wooller becomes an England Test selector.
• Rugby Union
  • 22 January - Ken Jones becomes Wales's most capped player (36) in a game against England.
  • 12 March - Wales beat Ireland 21–3 at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
  • 26 March - Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the fourth time this decade.

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - John Disley

Births

• 22 January - Clive Griffiths, footballer
• 4 March - Joey Jones, footballer
• 2 May - Peter Sayer, footballer
• 22 May - Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, politician
• 5 June - Alun Pugh, politician
• 21 June (in Sunderland) - Janet Ryder, politician
• 8 August - Gordon Davies, footballer
• 17 November - Amanda Levete, architect
• 7 December - Mihangel Morgan, author and academic

Deaths

• 5 January - Douglas Marsden-Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 61
• 29 January - Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician, 89
• 19 March - Tom Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 2 April - Billy O'Neill, Wales national rugby player, 76
• 27 April - Ambrose Bebb, author, 60
• 19 May - Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player, 75
• 28 September - Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees, Victoria Cross recipient, 71
• 14 October - Harry Parr Davies, songwriter, 41
• 15 October - Thomas Jones (T. J.), founder of Coleg Harlech, 85
• 30 October - Bert Dauncey, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 1 November - Ronw Moelwyn Hughes, politician, 58
• 15 December - V. E. Nash-Williams, archaeologist, 58