1976 in Wales

1976 in Wales

Other years

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1976 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1976

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1976 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales - John Morris
• Archbishop of Wales - Gwilym Owen Williams

Events

• February - Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes commander of HMS Bronington.
• March 1 - Merlyn Rees ends Special Category Status for those sentenced for scheduled terrorist crimes relating to the civil violence in Northern Ireland.
• June–September A very hot summer brings a major drought with water shortages.
• 24 September Former Submarine Commander Neil Rutherford, DSC & Bar murders four people at the Red Gables Hotel in Penmaenmawr.
• 7 December - Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland (formerly Lilian Davies of Swansea) marries Prince Bertil of Sweden after a 30-year relationship.
• The InterCity 125 high-speed train runs for the first time between Swansea and London (Paddington).
• Operation Julie results in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world. Lewis Daly, a lecturer at University of Wales, Lampeter, is one of those convicted of illegally manufacturing and selling the drug.
• The Welsh Regional Office of the European Community opens in Cardiff.
• Miners’ leader Dai Francis challenges Charles, Prince of Wales, in the election for Chancellor of the University of Wales.
• David Emanuel marries Elizabeth Weiner.

Arts and literature

• Dic Jones loses the National Eisteddfod chair on a technicality.
• Actor Stanley Baker is given a knighthood, a few months before his death.
• Griff Rhys Jones becomes Vice-President of the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club.
• Mistar Urdd is created by Wynne Melville Jones.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Cardigan)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Marged Prichard

New books

• Ruth Bidgood - Not Without Homage
• J. M. Edwards - Cerddi Ddoe a Heddiw
• John Emyr - Enaid Clwyfus
• Geraint Jarman - Cerddi Alfred Street
• Gwilym R. Jones - Y Syrcas a Cherddi Eraill
• Alan Llwyd - Edrych Trwy Wydrau Lledrith
• Alun Llywelyn-Williams - Gwanwyn yn y Ddinas
• Kenneth Morgan - Keir Hardie
• Marged Prichard - Gwylanod ar y Mynydd
• Bernice Rubens - I Sent a Letter to My Love

New drama

• John Gwilym Jones - Gobaith Mawr y Ganrif

Music

• Edward H. Dafis - 'Sneb yn Becso Dam
• Alun Hoddinott - Murder the Magician (opera)
• Dafydd Iwan - Mae'r Darnau yn Disgyn i'w Lle (album)
• Geraint Jarman - Gobaith Mawr y Ganrif (album)
• Daniel Jones - Dance Fantasy

Film

Welsh-language films

• None

Broadcasting

• Sir Huw Wheldon is knighted for his services to broadcasting.

English-language television

• How Green Was My Father, with Ryan Davies

Sport

• Rugby union - Wales win their seventh Grand Slam.

Births

• 14 January - Scott Young, footballer
• 6 April - James Fox, singer
• 8 May - Ian Watkins, pop singer
• 13 May - Mark Delaney, footballer
• 16 June - Cian Ciaran, musician
• 25 June - Iestyn Harris, rugby player
• 14 July - Geraint Jones, cricketer
• 9 August - Aled Haydn-Jones, radio producer
• 7 November - Andrew Davies, cricketer
• 20 December – Adam Powell, inventor
• date unknown - Steffan Cravos, musician and language activist

Deaths

• 3 January - Mal Evans, Beatles' former roadie and patron of Badfinger, 40
• 23 January - Sir Tudor Thomas, ophthalmic surgeon, 82
• 4 February - Roger Livesey, actor, 69
• 12 February - John Lewis, Marxist philosopher, 87
• 26 March - Duster Bennett, blues musician, 29 (car accident)
• 28 April – Richard Hughes, novelist, 76
• 28 June - Sir Stanley Baker, actor, 48
• 18 July - Jenkin Alban Davies, Wales international rugby captain, 90
• 30 August - David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, politician, 72
• 7 November - Glyn Davies, Wales international rugby union player, 49
• 22 November - Rupert Davies, actor, 60
• 24 November - Ambrose Baker, rugby player, ?79
• date unknown
  • Meirion Williams, songwriter