2007 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2007 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

First Minister – Rhodri Morgan
Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Hain
Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Selwyn Iolen

Events

2 January – A survey finds that eight of the top ten "unhealthiest places to live" in the UK are in Wales, with Merthyr Tydfil leading the list.
12 January – Welsh actor Michael Sheen is nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor in a Film.
16 January – It is announced that a £14 billion training academy for all three armed forces is to be built at St Athan in south Wales.
30 January – Connie Fisher wins the Critics' Circle Most Promising Newcomer Award.
1 February – Travel Magazine names Oxwich beach the most beautiful in Britain.
7 February – A letter bomb is sent to the main Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency centre in Swansea, south Wales. Four workers are taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, including a woman with cuts to her hands and body.
9 February – Unpredicted snow storms wreak havoc across the country. 602 schools and many more business forced to close. Traffic is heavily disrupted. Parts of the M4 motorway temporary close and 500 people are trapped in cars on the A48 between Carmarthen and Cross Hands.
12 February – A report by the National Trust reveals that more than 70% of the coastline in Wales, including 143 miles of coastline, is under threat from coastal erosion and flooding.
22 February – It is confirmed that Prince Harry, the son of the Prince of Wales, will be serving with his regiment in Iraq.
February – A lightning strike severely damages Llandaff Cathedral organ.
March – Llwynywermod estate in the Brecon Beacons is purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall to provide a Welsh residence for the Prince of Wales.
1 April – Prescription charges are abolished for NHS patients in Wales.
2 April – Smoking ban comes into force in all enclosed public places.
4 May – In the elections for the National Assembly for Wales, Labour suffer a net loss of three seats, Plaid Cymru make a net gain of three seats, and all other parties retain the same number of seats as before the election. Labour no longer have an overall majority. Alun Pugh becomes the only Assembly minister to lose his seat, defeated by Conservative Darren Millar. Labour defector John Marek loses his seat to his former constituency secretary, Lesley Griffiths. Plaid Cymru's Mohammad Asghar becomes the first Assembly member from an ethnic minority.
8 May – First public flight on the publicly subsidised air service between the new Anglesey Airport and Cardiff International Airport.
16 May – It is announced that Prince Harry will not, after all, be serving with his regiment in Iraq.
26 May – It is announced that the Military Cross awarded to Siegfried Sassoon will go on display at the Royal Welch Fusiliers museum in Caernarfon.
4 June – Claire Jones is appointed official harpist to the Prince of Wales
17 June – Paul Potts, from Port Talbot, wins the national final of the first series of Britain's Got Talent.
27 June – One Wales agreement between Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru.
July - The International Eisteddfod at Llangollen is the best-attended since the event began, with ticket sales up 11% on the previous year.
26 July – Efforts to save the life of Shambo, a black Friesian bull living at the Hindu Skanda Vale Temple near Llanpumsaint, finally fail and the bull is put down after testing positive for tuberculosis.
4–11 August - The National Eisteddfod of Wales is held at Mold, Flintshire.
14 September – Ioan Gruffudd marries Alice Evans.
17 September – Five people are killed in a two-car collision on the M4 motorway at Newport.
30 September – Unveiling of the first Welsh national memorial to the Falklands War takes place in Cardiff.
16 October – Houses are evacuated when part of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal's bank collapses at Gilwern.

Arts and literature

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – T. James Jones
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Tudur Dylan Jones
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Mary Payne
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Nic Ros
Wales Book of the Year:
*English language: Lloyd Jones, Mr Cassini
*Welsh language: Llwyd Owen, Ffydd Gobaith Cariad
Dylan Thomas Award:
BBC Cardiff Singer of [the World competition]:
*Main Prize – Shenyang
*Song Prize – Elizabeth Watts
Glyndŵr Award – Shani Rhys James
Cân i Gymru: Einir Dafydd and Ceri Wyn Jones – "Blwyddyn Mas"

New books

Welsh language

Tony Bianchi – Pryfeta
Mererid Hopwood – Ar Bwys
Watcyn L Jones – Cofio Capel Celyn
Gareth Miles – Y Proffwyd a’i Ddwy Jesebel
Mary Annes Payne – ''Rhodd Mam''

English language

Phil Carradice – People’s Poetry of the Great War
Grahame Davies – Real Wrexham
Peter Ho Davies – The Welsh Girl
Eirian Jones – The War of the Little Englishman: Enclosure Riots on a Lonely Welsh Hillside
Owen Sheers – Resistance
J. P. R. Williams – ''Given the Breaks: My Life in Rugby''

Music

Albums

The Gentle Good – Dawel Disgyn
Aled Jones – Reason To Believe
Karl Jenkins – This Land of Ours
Katherine Jenkins – Viva
Kelly Jones – Only the Names Have Been Changed
Natasha Marsh – Amour
Paul Potts – One Chance
Gruff Rhys – Candylion
Lisa Scott-Lee – Never and Now
Stereophonics – Pull the Pin
Bryn Terfel – A Song in My Heart
Elin Manahan Thomas – ''Eternal Light''

Film

The Baker, starring Damian Lewis and directed by Gareth Lewis, is set and filmed in Wales.

Broadcasting

3 January – Ian Watkins, better known as "H" from Steps, becomes an entrant in the fifth UK series of Celebrity Big Brother. On the same day, he announces he is gay.
18 January – S4C introduces a new corporate logo and brand.
14 July – Radio Tircoed begins broadcasting on a permanent basis as a community radio station.
8 October – BBC Radio Cymru relaunches its C2 youth and music output.
29 November - XFM South Wales launches.

Welsh-language television

''Codi Canu''

English-language television

Coal House
Keith Allen stars as the Sheriff of Nottingham in a second series of Robin Hood.
Coming Home
Gavin & Stacey, starring Ruth Jones, Joanna Page and Rob Brydon
Glyn's Virgin Voters, one-off documentary featuring Glyn Wise

Sport

17 January – ISPAL is officially launched.
17 March – Wales defeat England in their final match of the 2007 Six Nations Championship, to finish fifth in the final table.
10 May – The James Bevan Trophy is launched, to commemorate the Australian-born Welsh-raised man who was the first ever captain of the Wales rugby team.
3 June – Wales reach the semi-finals of the World Sevens tournament at Murrayfield.
19 June – Darren Morgan wins the European Masters snooker championship.
July – The Welsh Super Cup is scheduled to be held at Aberystwyth.
3 August – Wales are defeated 62-5 by England in a warm-up match for the Rugby World Cup.
29 September – Wales lose to Fiji in their decisive Group B match, and thus fail to reach the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.
29 September – Wales wins the gold medal at the European Mixed Curling Championships in Madrid, Spain. The Welsh team of Adrian Meikle, Lesley Carol, Andrew Tanner, Blair Hughes and Chris Wells took the Gold Medal in a thrilling Final against Denmark.
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Joe Calzaghe

Births

17 March – Ruby Evans, artistic gymnast
17 December – James, son of Prince Edward and Sophie. The child is given his father's subsidiary title of "Viscount Severn" as a courtesy title, in recognition of his mother's Welsh ancestry.

Deaths

4 January – Gren, cartoonist, 72
12 January – Berwyn Jones, athlete, 66
14 January – Peter Prendergast, painter, 60
21 January – Peter Clarke, Children's Commissioner for Wales, 58
24 January – David Morris, MEP and peace activist, 76
30 January – Griffith Jones, actor, 97
6 February – Sir Gareth Roberts, physicist, 66
7 February – Brian Williams, Welsh international rugby player, 44
10 February – Bill Clement, Welsh international rugby player and Secretary of the WRU, 91
21 February – John Robins, rugby player, 80
22 February – Edgar Evans, opera singer, 94
1 April – Ivor Wynne Jones, journalist, 80
3 April – Marion Eames, novelist, 85
12 April
*Len Hill, sportsman, 65
*Maldwyn Jones, historian, 84
13 April – Tony Goble, artist, 63
22 May – Ifor Owen, illustrator, 91
11 June – Mercer Simpson, writer, 81
12 June – Colin Fletcher, backpacker and writer, 85
12 August – Alwyn Rice Jones, former Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of St Asaph, 73
16 August
*Will Edwards, politician, 69
*Roland Mathias, poet, 91
6 September – Byron Stevenson, footballer, 50
9 September
*Steve Jones, rugby player, 55
*Sir Tasker Watkins, VC, 88
14 October – Carol Evans, cricketer, 68
31 October - Ray Gravell, rugby player and radio presenter, 56
15 November – W. S. Jones, author, 87
December
*Ron Davies, footballer, 75
*Richard Williams, conductor
date unknown – Norman Harris, rugby player