1966 in Wales

1966 in Wales

Other years

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1966 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1966

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1966 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales - Cledwyn Hughes
• Archbishop of Wales - Edwin Morris

Events

• April - Future Welsh Secretary Peter Hain arrives in the UK from South Africa with his family.
• 14 July - In the Carmarthen by-election, caused by the death of Megan Lloyd George, Gwynfor Evans wins Plaid Cymru's first Parliamentary seat.
• 22 July
  • Fifteen people are drowned at Penmaenpool in the Mawddach estuary.
  • The M4 motorway Port Talbot by-pass is opened.
• 8 September - The Severn Bridge is opened.
• 21 October - At Aberfan, following heavy rain, a colliery waste tip collapses onto the village's primary school, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
• 26 October - The Welsh Office appoints a tribunal, chaired by Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, to investigate the causes of the Aberfan disaster.

Arts and literature

Awards

• British Press Awards - Special Award for Journalism - David Rhys Davies, Merthyr Express

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Aberavon)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Dic Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Dafydd Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

• Peter Bartrum - Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts
• Pennar Davies - Caregl Nwyf
• Charles Jones - The Challenger
• Thomas John Morgan - Amryw Flawd
• Raymond Williams - Modern Tragedy

New drama

• Gwenlyn Parry - Saer Doliau (Doll Doctor)

Music

• Alun Hoddinott - Concerto no. 3, op. 44
• Severn Bridge Variations (composite work composed by Malcolm Arnold, Alun Hoddinott, Nicholas Maw, Daniel Jones, Grace Williams and Michael Tippett)

Film

• Richard Burton stars in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? alongside his wife Elizabeth Taylor. The performance wins him a BAFTA Best Actor award.

Broadcasting

• BBC Wales opens new studios in Llandaff.

English-language television

• Hywel Bennett makes an impact in his first major TV role in Where the Buffalo Roam, a Wednesday Play.

Sport

• Athletics - Lynn Davies becomes the first person to hold the European, Commonwealth and Olympic long jump titles simultaneously.
• Football - Ivor Allchurch plays his final game for Wales, against Chile.
• Rugby union
  • Phil Bennett makes his first appearance for Llanelli RFC.
  • Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the third successive year.
• Tennis - Future rugby star J.P.R. Williams wins the junior championship at Wimbledon.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Lynn Davies

Births

• 21 March - Matthew Maynard, cricketer
• 24 March - Mark Williams MP, politician
• 14 April - Lloyd Owen, actor
• 29 April - Carl Dale, footballer
• 3 May - Darren Morgan, snooker player
• 5 May - Nicky Piper, light-heavyweight boxer
• 8 July - Guto Harri, broadcaster
• 28 July - Andy Legg, footballer
• 16 August - Helen Thomas, Greenham Common campaigner
• 1 September - Elin Jones AM, politician
• 21 October - Phillip Price, golfer
• 10 November - Simon Richardson, cyclist
• date unknown
  • Niall Griffiths, novelist

Deaths

• 20 January - Gordon Macdonald MP, politician, 81
• 27 January - Ronald Armstrong-Jones, barrister, 66
• 18 February - Thomas Williams, 1st Baron Williams, 73
• March - Wilfred Mitford Davies, artist and publisher, 71
• April - Charlie Jones, footballer, 66
• 25 April - Iorrie Isaacs, Wales international rugby player, 54
• 26 April - Bill Everson, Wales international rugby player, 60
• 14 May - Megan Lloyd George MP, politician, 64
• 9 June - Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author
• 17 July - Albert Freethy, rugby referee and cricketer, 81
• 21 September - Thomas Williams Phillips, civil servant, 83
• 26 September - Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player, 86
• 3 December - Iorwerth Thomas, politician, 71
• date unknown
  • Simon Bartholomew Jones, minister and poet