1859 in Wales

Centuries:	17th; 18th; 19th; 20th; 21st;
Decades:	1830s; 1840s; 1850s; 1860s; 1870s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; Timeline of Welsh history 1859 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

January - Y Brython changes from weekly to monthly publication.
February - First race at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.
1 April - Opening of the Corris Railway.
5 April - 27 men are killed by flooding at Neath Chain Colliery.
31 May - U.K. general election. This is the last general election in which the Conservative Party's vote share in Wales exceeds that in England.
29 June - Benjamin Hall is raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Llanover.
15 October–17 October - Queen Victoria stays at Penrhyn Castle.
25 October–26 October - 'Royal Charter Storm':
- Steam clipper Royal Charter is wrecked off the north-east Anglesey coast, with the estimated loss of around 459 lives, the greatest loss of life in any maritime accident in Welsh waters.
- St Brynach's Church, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, is destroyed .
Peak year for copper production in Wales.
Opening of the East Bute Dock, Cardiff.
Merger of Yr Amserau and Baner Cymru.
Religious revival led by Humphrey Jones.
The Cymanfa Ganu movement is launched in Aberdare.
Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, is created Baron Tredegar.

Lewis William Lewis (Llew Llwyfo) wins the chair at the Merthyr Tydfil eisteddfod.

11 January - Sir Joseph Alfred Bradney, historian (died 1933)
29 January - Sir George Lockwood Morris, industrialist and Welsh international rugby player (died 1947)
7 February - Frank Hancock, Wales international rugby union international (died 1943)
16 February - T. E. Ellis, politician (died 1899)
18 April - Sir Evan Davies Jones, 1st Baronet, civil engineer (died 1949)
4 May - Sir Samuel Thomas Evans, politician and judge (died 1918)
22 May - Jonathan Ceredig Davies, travel writer (died 1932)
17 July - Ernest Rhys, writer (died 1946)
11 Oct – Aneurin Williams, politician (died 1924)
5 December - Edward John Lewis, Wales international rugby union player (died 1925)
7 December - Leonard Watkins, Wales international rugby union player (died 1901)
25 December - John Goulstone Lewis Wales international rugby union player (died 1935)
November - Richard Bell, politician (died 1930)