1962 in Wales

1962 in Wales

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1962 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1962

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

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Archbishop of Wales - Edwin Morris
• 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.
• 26 October – Opening of Richard Thomas and Baldwins's new steelworks at Llanwern near Newport.

Arts and literature

• Rachel Roberts marries Rex Harrison.
• 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

• 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.

Broadcasting

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
• 27 June - Michael Ball, singer
• 15 September - Kevin Allen, actor, comedian and film director
• 22 July - Arthur Emyr, rugby player and television presenter and executive
• 15 October - Mark Ring, rugby player
• 24 October - Jonathan Davies, rugby player
• 12 December - John Jones, record producer
• date unknown - Iolo Williams, naturalist and broadcaster

Deaths

• 14 February - Ezer Griffiths, physicist, 73
• 23 March - Clement Davies, politician, 80
• 25 April - Herbie Baxter, Glamorgan cricketer, 79
• 11 May - Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and author, 82
• 3 August - Edgar Phillips, poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, 72
• 23 September - Margaret Jane Gordon (Lady Gordon), singer
• 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 (race accident)