2016 in Wales

Incumbents

• First Minister – Carwyn Jones
• Secretary of State for Wales – Stephen Crabb; Alun Cairns
• Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Christine James ; Geraint Llifon

  Events

January

• 5 January – First Minister Carwyn Jones visits areas of Wales that have been badly affected by flooding, and promises that a further £2.3 million will be made available to be spent on flood protection.
• 18 January – Tata Steel announces 750 job losses at Port Talbot steelworks.

  February

• 8 February – Wales is badly affected by Storm Imogen: 80 mph winds result in waves high enough to hit first-floor windows along Aberystwyth's seafront.
• 9 February – The Welsh Assembly votes for legislation to protect the historic environment and make the maintenance of records mandatory; this makes Wales the first part of the UK, and one of the first countries in the world, to legislate for the protection of historic environment records.
• 24 February – Aston Martin announces that their new DBX model will be built at a site in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, creating 750 new jobs.

  March

• 9 March – Little Haven beach becomes the first in Britain to be declared smoke free.
• 16 March – In the 2016 Budget chancellor George Osborne announces the halving of tolls across both Severn Bridges from 2018.
• 17 March – The review of the Macur Report, a government inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the former county council areas of Gwynedd and Clwyd in North Wales is published. It finds "no evidence" of historical abuse by establishment figures.
• 19 March – Following the resignation of Iain Duncan Smith, Stephen Crabb is appointed as the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, while his position as Secretary of State for Wales is filled by Alun Cairns, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan.
• 30 March – Tata Steel announces that it is looking for a buyer for its entire British steel making operations, putting at risk all 5,500 jobs at Port Talbot Steelworks.

  April

• 1 April – As part of a three-day celebration of arts, culture and creativity in Wales, artist Marc Rees unveils a 20 ft tall statue of singer Shirley Bassey on a balcony of Caernarfon Castle.
• 28 April – The skull and antlers of a deer dating back 4,000 years are found on a beach in Borth.
• 29 April – The Harvester, a fishing vessel operating from Milford Haven, carrying a father and son team, sinks off the coast of St David's.

  May

• 5 May – 2016 National Assembly for Wales election. New constituency members elected include Hannah Blythyn, Siân Gwenllian, Huw Irranca-Davies and Lee Waters. New regional members include UKIP members Neil Hamilton and Mark Reckless. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood takes the Rhondda seat from Labour's Leighton Andrews.
• 18 May
• * Labour leader Carwyn Jones is re-elected First Minister after his party forms a minority government with support from Plaid Cymru.
• * Neil Hamilton, leader of the UKIP contingent in the National Assembly for Wales, is widely criticised for using sexist language in his maiden speech.
• 26 May – The 29th Hay Festival opens, with Sir Tom Jones, Sir Karl Jenkins and director Sam Mendes named among the guest speakers.
• 31 May – Ifor ap Glyn begins his role as the National Poet of Wales taking over the post from Gillian Clarke who had held the position since 2008.

  June

• 9 June – A call by MP Chris Bryant for the ban on speaking Welsh at Westminster to be overturned, is rejected by the House of Commons leader Chris Grayling.
• 23 June – In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, a 52.5% majority of voters in Wales vote to leave the EU, with 47.5% voting to remain.
• 30 June – An overnight vigil is conducted at Llandaff Cathedral to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

  July

• 7 July – A service of commemoration is held at the Mametz Wood Memorial where members of the 38th Division were killed during the First Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. In attendance are the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan and First Minister Carwyn Jones.
• 8 July – The Wales national football team return from France to a welcoming parade in Cardiff city centre. Celebrations include a concert by the Manic Street Preachers.
• 13 July – Owen Smith, MP for Pontypridd, announces that he will stand against Jeremy Corbyn for the position of Labour leader.
• 14 July – Following Theresa May's selection as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns is one of only four ministers to retain their positions in the newly announced Cabinet.
• 20 July – Professor Sir John Meurig Thomas is awarded the Royal Medal "for his pioneering work within catalytic chemistry".
• 24 July – Communities in Wales and England celebrate the bicentenary of the opening of the Old Wye Bridge in Chepstow.

  August

• 6 August – 130,000 visitors are recorded attending the 2016 National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny as the festival comes to a close. The iconic pink pavilion was replaced this year by a square-shaped white building in an attempt to improve acoustics.
• 28 August – The final BHS store in Wales, located in Swansea's Princess Way, closes its doors after the company goes into administration.

  September

• 13 September
• * The Wales Bill 2016, which gives new powers and accountability for the Welsh Assembly, is passed by MPs in the House of Commons.
• * A new Boundary Commission plan which would see Welsh Members of Parliament cut from 40 to 29, is published for consultation.
• 17/18 September – A series of events celebrating the works of Roald Dahl are held throughout the streets of Cardiff on the centenary of the author's birth.
• 24 September – Jeremy Corbyn is re-elected as leader of the Labour Party following an unsuccessful challenge by Owen Smith.

  October

• 8 October – Sir Karl Jenkins' Cantata Memoria, composed to mark the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, receives its premiere at the Wales Millennium Centre, with Sinfonia Cymru and a large choir conducted by the composer.
• 15 October – The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery re-opens after a £6 million renovation, which saw the building closed since 2011.
• 19 October – UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn support a call by Welsh MP Gerald Jones for a minute's silence throughout the UK to mark the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster on 21 October.
• 21 October – Charles, Prince of Wales, visits Aberfan on the 50th anniversary of the disaster, but the planned minute's silence is largely ignored outside Wales.
• 26 October – The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse opens an office in Wales, with the intent of allowing victims and survivors of abuse in Wales to share their experiences and seek justice.

  November

• 2 November – Joanna Penberthy is elected to become the 129th Bishop of St Davids, succeeding Wyn Evans. The election makes her the first woman to become a bishop in Wales.

  December

• 31 December – Wales football manager Chris Coleman is among the Welsh recipients of honours in the Queen's New Year Honours List, receiving the OBE. Singer Bryn Terfel receives a knighthood.

  Undated

• Glyndŵr University, Wrexham, is renamed Wrexham Glyndŵr University.

  Arts and literature

Welsh Awards

• Glyndŵr Award
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Aneirin Karadog, "Ffiniau"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Elinor Gwynn, "Llwybrau"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Eurig Salisbury, "Cai"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Hefin Robinson, Estron
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen: Guto Dafydd, Ymbelydredd
• Wales Book of the Year:
• * English language: Thomas Morris, We Don't Know What We're Doing
• * Welsh language: Caryl Lewis, ''Y Bwthyn''

  New books

English language

Welsh language

• Tony Bianchi – Sol a Lara
• Menna Elfyn – ''Optimist Absoliwt: Cofiant Eluned Phillips''

  Music

• Belle and Sebastian, James Blake and Laura Marling appear at the Green Man Festival.

  Albums

• John Cale – M:FANS
• Aled Jones – One Voice
• Ren – Freckled Angels
• Gruff Rhys – ''Set Fire to the Stars''

  Compositions

• Iain Bell, David Antrobus and Emma Jenkins – ''In Parenthesis''

  Film

• The Passing/Yr Ymadawiad, released 8 April 2016

  Sport

Awards

• BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Jade Jones

  In sports

• Association football
• * 20 March – Gareth Bale becomes the British leading goalscorer in La Liga history, with a tally of 43 goals, surpassing Gary Linekar's record.
• * 11 June – Wales begin their UEFA Euro 2016 campaign with a 2–1 win over Slovakia.
• * 6 July – Wales are beaten in the semi-finals of Euro 2016 by Portugal. The tournament is Wales' most successful campaign, in which two players, Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey are named in UEFA's team of the tournament. Out of contract striker Hal Robson-Kanu's goal against Belgium in the quarter finals is named by UEFA as the second best goal of the championship.
• * 3 October – Swansea part company with manager Francesco Guidolin seven matches into the 2016–17 Premier League season.
• Athletics
• * 26 March – Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor wins the Cardiff half-marathon despite slipping and falling at the start of the race.
• Boxing
• * 9 April – Lee Selby successfully defends his IBF World Featherweight title, beating American Eric Hunter on unanimous points decision.
• * 14 May – At the Ice Arena Wales, Andrew Selby defeats Louis Norman to become British Flyweight champion. In winning, Selby became the fastest Welsh fighter to win a Lonsdale Belt, having claimed his division in just five professional fights.
• * 30 October – Scottish boxer Mike Towell dies following his fight with Carmarthen-based boxer Dale Evans.
• Cricket
• * 2 July – England beat Sri Lanka at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff to take an unassailable 3–0 lead in the One Day International series.
• Cycling
• * 24 July – Chris Froome wins the 2016 Tour de France. Welsh cyclists Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe are part of the Team Sky riders that helped him to victory.
• Golf
• * 24 July – Becky Morgan finishes third in the 2016 Ladies Scottish Open.
• Horse racing
• * 9 January – The Welsh Grand National 2015 is run, having been postponed from 27 December because of continuous heavy rain affecting the Chepstow course. It is won by Mountainous, ridden by jockey Jamie Moore.
• Ice hockey
• * 12 March – The Ice Arena Wales opens in Cardiff, a 3088-seater arena that will be home to the Cardiff Devils.
• Rugby union
• * 8 February – Ireland and Wales draw 16–16 in their first match of the 2016 Six Nations Championship.
• * 19 March – Wales finish the 2016 Six Nations Championship in second place behind England.
• * 25 June – Wales lose their third and final Test against the All Blacks in a 3–0 whitewash during the 2016 Wales rugby union tour of New Zealand.
• Snooker
• * 21 February – Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Neil Robertson to win the Welsh Open. This was O'Sullivan's fourth Open win bringing him level with John Higgins as the tournament's most successful player.