1956 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1956 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

April – One of the last Welsh-built naval vessels afloat, former iron screw frigate, built at Pembroke Dock, arrives in Belgium to be broken up.
2 April – Huw Wheldon marries Jacqueline Clarke.
24 April – A 250,000 signature petition is presented to the Westminster parliament by the all-party Parliament for Wales Campaign.
9 May – The Gower Peninsula becomes the first area in the British Isles to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
9 July – Mettoy introduce Corgi Toys model cars, manufactured at Fforestfach in South Wales.
September – Bangor Normal College and Trinity College, Carmarthen, introduce courses in Welsh-medium teaching.
4 September – Opening of the first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales – Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Rhyl.
22 November – In a mining accident at Lewis Merthyr Colliery, seven men are killed.
exact date unknown – Aberystwyth's town clock is demolished as unsafe.

Welsh language periodical Y Faner is bought by Huw T. Edwards and thus saved from going out of business.
Morecambe and Wise are reunited by chance at the Swansea Empire Theatre.
22 November – The New Scientist is launched by Percy Cudlipp, who becomes its first editor.

February – Release of Shirley Bassey's first single, Burn My Candle (At Both Ends)
William Mathias – Suite for Trumpet and Piano, Op.4
Grace Williams – ''Symphony No. 2''

Granada Television begins producing up to an hour a week of current affairs and education programmes in Welsh to serve the overlap audience in north Wales.

June – First televised English-language play produced in Wales, Wind of Heaven.

Boxing
*27 August – Joe Erskine defeats Johnny Williams in Cardiff to win the vacant British heavyweight title.
Rugby Union
*Wales under the captaincy of Cliff Morgan, win the Five Nations Championship for the fifth time this decade.
*24 March – Wales beat France 5–3 in a game held at the National Stadium, Cardiff
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Joe Erskine

4 January – Robert Williams Parry, poet, 71
10 January – Jack Johns, cricketer, 70
14 January – Sam Ramsey, Wales international rugby union player
23 January – William Harris, academic and translator, 71
1 February – John Lloyd-Jones, academic, 70
22 February – Nathaniel Walters, Wales international rugby player, 80
27 February – Tudor Rees, lawyer, judge and Liberal politician, 75
19 May – Peter Freeman, politician, 67
8 June – Walter Rice, 7th Baron Dynevor, soldier, civil servant and politician, 82
5 July – Fred Birt, Welsh international rugby union player, 69
11 June – Frank Brangwyn, artist, 89
17 August – William Havard, Bishop of St. Davids and international rugby player, 66
31 August – Winifred Coombe Tennant, politician and philanthropist, 81
13 September – David Davies, footballer, 77
20 September – Arthur Tysilio Johnson, farmer and author, 83
1 October – J. O. Francis, dramatist, 74
11 October – David James Davies, economist and politician, 63
16 October – Robert Evans, historian, 84
18 October – Harry Parry, jazz musician, 44
22 November – Rhys Hopkin Morris MP, politician, 68
16 December – Nina Hamnett, artist, 66
28 December – John Dyfnallt Owen, poet and archdruid, 83