1990 in Wales

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Walker ; David Hunt
• Archbishop of Wales – George Noakes, Bishop of St David's
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
• *Deudraeth
• *Ap Llysor

Events

• 26 February - The sea wall at Towyn is breached, resulting in flood damage to 2,800 homes, and the evacuation of a further 2,000.
• 10 June - Death of John Evans, Britain's oldest man whose age could be authenticated.
• 2 August - Highest ever temperature recorded in Wales until 2022, 35.2 °C at Hawarden.
• 27 September - Brymbo Steelworks last tapped.
• 1 November - Veteran Conservative politician Sir Geoffrey Howe resigns from the government.
• December - Privatisation of the former South Wales Electricity Board and Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board.
• 21 December - Last underground shift worked at Mardy Colliery.
• date unknown - Following a referendum, the Vaynor Community Council in Merthyr Tydfil is abolished, the first time such an action has taken place.

Arts and literature

• Commercial sponsorship of the National Eisteddfod of Wales exceeds £1 million for the first time ever.
• Griffith R. Williams of Llithfaen, Gwynedd, publishes his autobiography, Cofio canrif, making him the world's oldest author at 102.
• Geraint Talfan Davies becomes Controller of BBC Wales.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Myrddin ap Dafydd, "Gwythiennau"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Iwan Llwyd, "Gwreichion"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Geraint V. Jones, ''Yn y Gwaed''

New books

• John Barnie - The King of Ashes
• Carol-Ann Courtney - Morphine and Dolly Mixtures
• Rees Davies - Conquest and Domination
• Christine Evans - Cometary Phases
• David Jones - Rebecca's Children
• David H. Williams (Welsh Historian) - Atlas of Cistercian Lands in Wales
• Raymond Williams - ''People of the Black Mountains, vol. 2: The Eggs of the Eagle''

Welsh language

• Sioned Davies - Pedair Keinc y Mabinogi
• Hywel Teifi Edwards - Codi'r Hen Wlad yn ei Hôl
• Alun Jones - Plentyn y Bwtias
• Dic Jones - Os Hoffech Wybod
• R. Gerallt Jones - Cerddi 1955-1989
• Gwyneth Lewis - Sonedau Redsa A Cherddi Eraill
• Selyf Roberts - ''Gorwel Agos''

Music

• Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion - Sgwarnogod Bach Bob
• Datblygu - Pyst
• Dave Edmunds - Closer to the Flame
• Hanner Pei - Locsyn
• Siân James - Cysgodion Karma
• Jeffrey Lewis - Westminster Mass
• Manic Street Preachers - "New Art Riot"
• World Party - ''Goodbye Jumbo''

Film

• Catherine Zeta-Jones plays her first major film role in ''1001 Nights''

Welsh-language films

• Chwedl Nadolig
• Nel
• ''O.M.''

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• The Broadcasting Act 1990 redefines the responsibilities of S4C.
• Programmes:
• *''Tydi Bywyd yn Boen''

English-language television

• ''Hughezovka''

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ian Woosnam
• Football – Hereford United win the Welsh Cup, but Wrexham, as the top Welsh club, take their place in European competition.
• Horse racing – Norton's Coin, trained by Sirrel Griffiths at Nantgaredig, wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup at record odds of 100-1.

Births

• 10 March - Luke Rowe, cyclist
• 14 March – Joe Allen, footballer
• 1 April – Joe Partington, footballer
• 17 April – Jonathan Brown, footballer
• 19 August – Laura Deas, skeleton racer
• 17 September – Jazmin Carlin, swimmer
• 16 October - Natalie Powell, judoka
• 23 October - Sian Williams, rugby player
• 14 November – Casey Thomas, footballer
• 22 November - Steffan Jones, rugby player
• 26 December – Aaron Ramsey, footballer

Deaths

• 4 January – Alwyn Sheppard Fidler, architect, 80
• 20 January – Trevor Every, cricketer, 80
• 2 February – Joe Erskine, boxer, 56
• 12 March – Alf Sherwood, footballer, 66
• 13 March – Llewellyn Heycock, Baron Heycock, politician, 84
• 25 March – David Evans, cricketer and umpire, 56
• 2 April – Peter Jones, radio commentator, 60
• 4 May – John Ormond, poet and film-maker, 67
• 9 June – Angus McBean, photographer, 86
• 10 June – John Evans, world's oldest man at the time, 112
• 17 June – Menna Gallie, writer
• 24 June – Sean Hughes, politician of Welsh parentage, 44
• 7 July – Idwal Davies, rugby player, 74
• 6 September – Jack Howells, film-maker, 77
• 29 October – Emrys Roberts, politician, 80
• 1 November – Jack Petersen, former British heavyweight boxing champion, 79
• 8 November – Ned Jenkins, Wales international rugby player, 86
• 13 November – Richard Lewis, operatic tenor, 76
• 23 November – Roald Dahl, Cardiff-born children's writer, 74
• 27 November – Cliff Jones, Wales international rugby captain, 76
• 5 December – Eric Whitman, cricketer, 81
• 23 December – Gwilym Williams, former Archbishop of Wales, 77
• 24 December
• *Don Dearson, footballer, 76
• *David Gwyn Williams, poet, novelist, translator and academic, 86
• date unknown – Cliff Birch, footballer