1980 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1980 to Wales and the Welsh people.

Incumbents

2 January – Workers at British Steel Corporation go on strike over pay.
May – Plaid Cymru leader Gwynfor Evans announces his intention to go on hunger strike in protest against the government's failure to honour its promise of a fourth Welsh-language television channel. The government backs down on 17 September, a few weeks before Evans's deadline.
April – The Church in Wales votes to ordain women deacons.
17 May – Glan Clwyd Hospital opens at Bodelwyddan.
8 June – Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches for the last time, at Barcombe Baptist Chapel.
28 June – Penelope Clarke of Lanover marries François Fillon, future Prime Minister of France.
11 July – Britannia Bridge A55 road deck officially opened by the Prince of Wales.
August – Dragon Data introduces the Dragon 32 home computer.
John Maddox becomes editor of Nature.
Death of last pure-bred Rhiw sheep.
Cardiff Zoo closed.
Welsh Highland Railway Ltd begins using the name "Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru".

Richard Burton makes one of his last stage appearances, in the musical Camelot.
Michael Bogdanov becomes associate director of the Royal National Theatre.
Bobi Jones is appointed to the professorial chair in Welsh at University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
The publisher Gwasg Carreg Gwalch is founded by Myrddin ap Dafydd at Capel Garmon.

12 January – Howel Williams, American geologist and volcanologist of Welsh parentage, 81
31 January – Arthur "Waring" Bowen, solicitor and charity worker, 57
8 February – Miles Thomas, businessman, 82
9 February – Tom Macdonald, writer, 79
25 February – Caradog Prichard, author, 75
20 March – Alun Davies, historian, 63
6 May – Bryn Phillips, dual-code rugby international, 79
14 May – Hugh Griffith, actor, 67
4 June – Don Tarr, Wales international rugby player, 70
7 June – Idwal Davies, footballer, 80
14 July – Aneirin Talfan Davies, critic and broadcaster, 71
15 September – Bill Evans, American jazz pianist of Welsh descent, 51
7 October – Jim Lewis, footballer, 71
4 November – Johnny Owen, boxer, 24
26 November – Rachel Roberts, actress, 53
4 December – James Jones, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, 99
date unknown
*Cicely Hey, artist
*Tom Parri Jones, poet
*Jack Warner, footballer