1961 in Wales
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| See also: | List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history
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This article is about the significance of the year 1961 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Prince of Wales – Charles
- Princess of Wales – vacant
- Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin
Events
- 16 February - The BP Explorer, a loaded tanker barge bound for Sharpness from Swansea, turns over in the Severn Estuary.
- 17 February - The BP Explorer is seen bouncing upside down through the wrecked Severn Railway Bridge. Her crew of five men were killed.[1]
- 1 October - Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff hosts the first-ever broadcast of the long-running national BBC Television series Songs of Praise.
- 8 November - In a referendum on Sunday opening of public houses, the counties of Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Caernarfonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire all vote to stay "dry".
- 9 November - Rosemarie Frankland, originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, wins the Miss World title.
- 19 November - During construction of the Severn Bridge three men fall into the river. A rescue boat crewed by two men sets sail from Chepstow, not knowing that the three men have been picked up safely by a ferry, the Severn Princess. Two empty tanker barges coming down from Sharpness collide with the rescue boat, which has no navigation lights. One member of the rescue boat crew is drowned.
- Atlantic College is established at St Donat's.
- The Llyn Celyn reservoir is constructed in the valley of the River Tryweryn in North Wales to provide water for Liverpool, destroying the village of Capel Celyn.
- Gwynfor Evans becomes president of the Celtic League.
- Formation in Pontypridd of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith entirely of native Welsh Bahá'í.[2]
Arts and literature
- Richard Booth opens the first used booktore in Hay-on-Wye.
- Keith Baxter makes his Broadway debut as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhosllanerchrugog)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Emrys Edwards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - L. Haydn Lewis
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books
- Dannie Abse - The Eccentric
- Pennar Davies - Yr Efrydd o Lyn Cynon
- Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Tabyrddau'r Tabongo
- W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) - Ffenestri
- Richard Hughes - The Fox in the Attic
- Caradog Prichard - Un Nos Ola Leuad
- Bertrand Russell - Fact and Fiction
- Dave Waldo - Beat the Drum Slowly
- Emlyn Williams - George
- Raymond Williams - The Long Revolution
Music
- Alun Hoddinott - Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion
Film
- Ronald Lewis stars in Scream of Fear and Stop Me Before I Kill.
- Victor Spinetti makes his screen debut in The Gentle Terror.
- Clifford Evans stars in The Curse of the Werewolf.
- Pirates of Tortuga, American adventure based on the Welsh privateer, Henry Morgan
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television
- Ambell i Gan
- Pwt o'r Papur
- Gair o Gyngor
English-language television
Sport
- Boxing - Howard Winstone wins the British featherweight title.
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Bryn Meredith
Births
- 24 January - Tarki Micallef, former professional footballer
- 26 March - William Hague, Secretary of State for Wales 1995-97
- 7 May - Phil Campbell, rock guitarist
- 1 July - Diana, Princess of Wales (d. 1997)
- 5 July - Gareth Jones ("Gaz Top"), TV presenter
- 7 July - Steve Brace, long-distance runner
- 8 August
- The Edge (David Howell Evans), rock guitarist (in Barking, London, to Welsh parents)
- Simon Weston, war hero
- 18 August - Huw Edwards, newsreader
- 30 August - Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, charity worker and Labour peer
- 29 September (in Barry) - Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia
- 20 October - Ian Rush, footballer
- 25 November - Nuccia Focile, star of Welsh National Opera
- date unknown
- Ifor ap Glyn, Welsh-language poet and television presenter
- Twm Morys, poet
Deaths
- 18 April - John Evans, Welsh politician, 85
- 30 April - Charles Williams, academic, 55
- 28 June - Huw Menai, poet, 74
- 3 July - Albert Jenkin, Wales international rugby player, 88
- 1 August - David William Thomas, journalist and lawyer, 84
- 13 October - Augustus John, artist, 83
- 20 November - Edwin Thomas Maynard, Wales international rugby player, 83
References
- ^ "A History of Gloucester Harbour Trustees" (PDF). Gloucester Harbour Trustees. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ^ "UK Bahá'í History". UK Bahá'í. Retrieved 2012-07-26.