1986 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1986 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

21 April – Elizabeth II is presented with a kilo of Welsh gold from Gwynfynydd Gold Mine for her 60th birthday, in the knowledge that supplies are becoming scarce.
May – Cardiff City and Swansea City are both relegated to the Football League Fourth Division in England. Swansea, who were in the First Division between 1981 and 1983, recently came close to going out of existence due to huge debts.
30 June – Mardy Colliery, the last pit in the Rhondda, is closed, but underground links to Tower Colliery in the Cynon Valley enable the coal cut there to be raised at Tower.
September – The Wales National Ice Rink opens in Cardiff.
November – Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd become the first Welsh sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in the first tranche of U.K. designations.
December – Bersham Colliery, the last deep mine in the Denbighshire Coalfield, is closed.
date unknown – A planning application is turned down at Llanrhaeadr, Clwyd, on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the Welsh language. It is the first time such a decision has ever been made.

Alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers formed at Oakdale Comprehensive School.
Ballet Cymru formed as Cwmni Ballet Gwent, a touring classical ballet company based in Newport.
The first Welsh Proms are held at St David's Hall, Cardiff.
The Old Devils, Kingsley Amis's novel set in Wales, wins the Booker Prize.
Publisher Honno is established in Aberystwyth to publish writing by the women of Wales.

A Child's Christmas in Wales
BBC Wales wins awards for Penyberth and Ms Rhymney Valley 1985 at the Celtic Film and Television Festival.
Chris Stuart – ''Cha Cha Chat Show''

Athletics: Kirsty Wade becomes the first Welsh woman to win the gold medal in the 800m and 1500m at the Commonwealth Games.
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Kirsty Wade
Boxing:
*9 April – Robert Dickie wins the British featherweight title.
Cricket: Greg Thomas is capped for England. Matthew Maynard becomes the youngest player ever to score 1000 runs for Glamorgan CCC.
Gymnastics: Andrew Morris becomes British men's champion for the third time.

8 January – Mansel Thomas, conductor and composer, 76
9 January – Wilson Jones, footballer, 71
15 January – Alfred Bestall, illustrator, 93
16 February – John Tripp, poet, 58
28 February – Sir Thomas Williams, lawyer and politician, 70
1 March – Tommy Farr, boxer, 72
5 March – Lewis Valentine, political activist, 92
10 March
*E. Gwyndaf Evans, poet and archdruid, 73
*Ray Milland, actor, 79
14 March – Sir Huw Wheldon, television producer and presenter, 69
30 April – George Whitcombe, footballer, 84
5 June – John Bevan, Wales rugby union coach, 38
29 July – Gordon Mills, music industry manager, 51
29 August – Annie Powell, politician and Wales's first Communist mayor, 79
18 September – Elwyn Davies, university and cultural administrator, 77
1 November – Tom Arthur, Wales national rugby player, 80
6 November – Howard Thomas, radio producer, 77
November/December – Ivor Davies, Liberal politician, journalist and administrator, 71
13 December – Glyn Daniel, archaeologist, 72
date unknown
*Geoffrey D. Lloyd, journalist
*Fred Warren, footballer, 78