1969 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas
Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
*E. Gwyndaf Evans
*Tilsli

Events

1 April – Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.
May – Deep mining of slate at Oakeley Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, ceases.
22 May – Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.
1 June – The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
11 June – The Prince of Wales' new standard is flown for the first time.
20 June – Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.
30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.
1 July
*The Prince of Wales is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.
*Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
3 July – Swansea is granted city status.
25 July – The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
22 August – Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.
November – Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea. A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.
December – Serious damage at Lluest-wen Reservoir requires emergency evacuation and repairs.

Arts and literature

Dafydd Iwan co-founds Sain Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – James Nicholas
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Jones

New books

Glyn Mills Ashton – Angau yn y Crochan
Pennar Davies – Meibion Darogan
Rhys Davies – Print of a Hare's Foot
T. Glynne Davies – Hedydd yn yr Haul
R. F. Delderfield – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them
Raymond Garlick – A Sense of Europe
Glyn Jones – The Dragon Has Two Tongues
T. J. Morgan – Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill
Dennis Selby – Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor
John Griffith Williams – ''Pigau'r Sêr''

Drama

Urien Wiliam – ''Cawl Cennin''

Poetry

John Fitzgerald – Cadwyn Cenedl
D. Gwenallt Jones – Y Coed
Gwilym R. Jones – Cerddi
John Ormond – Requiem and Celebration
''Penguin Book of Welsh Verse''

Music

Albums

Amen Corner – Explosive Company
Blonde on Blonde – Contrasts
Man – ''2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle''

Singles

Huw Jones – ''Dŵr ''

Classical music

Jeffrey Lewis – Mutations I
Mansel Thomas – Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme
David Wynne – ''Cymric Rhapsody no. 2''

Film

English-language films

Richard Burton stars in Anne of the Thousand Days.
Hywel Bennett stars in The Virgin Soldiers.

Broadcasting

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg publishes a pamphlet entitled ''Broadcasting in Wales: To Enrich or Destroy Our National Life?''

English-language television

Philip Madoc has roles in Manhunt!, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk , The Champions and The Detective, among others.

Welsh-language television

''Miri Mawr''

Sport

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Tony Lewis
Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.
Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
football – Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

Births

6 January – Nicholas A'Hern, race walker
20 January – Nicky Wire, musician
5 February – Michael Sheen, actor
10 February – Francesca Rhydderch, novelist and academic
13 February – Gareth Abraham, footballer
21 February – James Dean Bradfield, musician
24 February – Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, musician
11 April – Cerys Matthews, singer
4 June – Julie Gardner, television producer
26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete
4 August – Tony Roberts, footballer
4 September – Sasha, DJ and record producer
8 September – Gary Speed, footballer and national manager
25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
8 October – David Abruzzese, footballer
23 October – Chris Fry, footballer
6 December – Anthony Davies, snooker player
date unknown – Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

20 January – Roy Evans, footballer, 25
3 February – Trevor Thomas, dual-code rugby player, 61
14 February – Ernest Roberts, judge, 78
10 March – Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76
18 March – Llewellyn Alston, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 78
20 March – Arthur E. Powell, Theosophist writer, 86
26 March – Elizabeth Williams Berry, jockey of Welsh parentage, 114
27 March – David Lloyd, tenor, 56
31 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82
5 April – Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50
15 April
*John Davies, dual code rugby player, 28
*Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66
20 April – Watkin Roberts, missionary, 82
4 May – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72
7 May – Stan Awbery, trade unionist and politician, 80
21 May – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75
23 May – Sir Evan Owen Williams, English-born Welsh engineer, 79
28 May – Rhys Williams, actor, 71
7 July – William David Davies, theologian, 72
26 July – Noel Hopkins, clergyman and organist, 77
12 August – Air Commodore James Bevan Bowen, RAF officer, 86
19 August – Percy Thomas, architect, 85
1 October – Dai Richards, footballer, 62
5 October – Sir Edward John Davies, judge in colonial service, 71
15 October – Charlie Phillips, footballer, 59
18 October – Emrys Hughes, politician, 75
11 November – Robert Thomas Jenkins, historian, 88
21 November – D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78
7 December
*Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60
* Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65
20 December – Eleanor Evans, actress, singer and director, 76