1955 in Wales

← 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1955 in Wales → 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1955 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

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

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – vacant
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfnallt

Events

• 18 April–28 May – Charles Evans leads the mountaineering expedition that conquers Kanchenjunga.
• 20 April – Future mother of Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Carol Jones, emigrates with her family from Maesteg to Australia.
• 31 October – The A48 road bridges over the River Neath at Briton Ferry (six years in the building) are officially opened by the Minister of Transport.
• 3 December – The Farmers Union of Wales breaks away from the National Farmers Union.
• 20 December – Cardiff becomes the official capital of Wales.

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 (poem)
• Gwilym Thomas Hughes – Ei Seren tan Gwmwl
• Elisabeth Inglis-Jones – The Story of Wales
• Dylan Thomas – A Child's Christmas in Wales (posthumously published)
• Louie Myfanwy Thomas writing as Jane Ann Jones – Plant y Foty
• R. S. Thomas – Song at the Year's Turning (poems)
• 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, with opening scenes filmed on location at New Quay and Aberaeron in 1954, 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
• 9 June – Alun Pugh, politician
• 21 June (in Sunderland) – Janet Ryder, politician
• 22 June – Green Gartside, musician
• 2 August – Alun Davies, biologist
• 4 August – Steve Jones, marathon runner
• 8 August – Gordon Davies, footballer
• 3 September – Eirian Williams, snooker referee
• 12 October – Brian Flynn, footballer and manager
• 17 November – Amanda Levete, architect
• 7 December – Mihangel Morgan, author and academic
• Martyn Jones, painter

Deaths

• 5 January – Douglas Marsden-Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 61
• 25 January – Robert Dewi Williams, teacher, clergyman and author, 84
• 26 January – Gwilym Davies, Baptist minister, 75
• 29 January – Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician, 89
• 19 March – Tom Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 2 April – Billy O'Neill, Welsh international rugby player, 76
• 27 April – Ambrose Bebb, author, 60
• 19 May – Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player, 75
• 21 June – Eric Evans, rugby union player and administrator, 61
• 13 July – Ruth Ellis, murderer, 28 (hanged)
• 28 August – Sir Lewis Lougher, businessman and politician, 83
• 28 September – Lionel Rees, airman, 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
• date unknown – Melbourne Johns, munitions worker and wartime secret agent, 55

See also

• 1955 in Northern Ireland