1962 In Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1962 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

* Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin

Events

*January–April – An outbreak of smallpox spreading from Cardiff infects 45 people and kills 19 in south Wales; 900,000 people in the region are vaccinated against the disease.
*12 April – Nine miners are killed and nine injured in an accident at Tower Colliery, Hirwaun, Wales.
*15 May – Emlyn Hooson wins the Montgomeryshire by-election brought about by the death of Clement Davies. In the run-up to the by-election, the "Elvis Rock" is painted with the graffiti "Elis" by supporters of Plaid Cymru candidate Islwyn Ffowc Elis.
*20 July – The world's first regular passenger hovercraft service is introduced between Rhyl and Wallasey.
*4 August – Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, is founded.
*September – Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, the first Welsh-medium secondary school in south Wales, opens its doors.
*19 September – Atlantic College opens its doors for the first time at St Donat's Castle, marking the birth of the pioneering United World College educational movement.
*26 October – Richard Thomas and Baldwins's new steelworks at Llanwern near Newport, is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
*28 October – Chepstow Railway Bridge rebuilding completed.
*''date unknown''
**Richard Booth opens his first second-hand bookshop at the old fire station in Hay-on-Wye.
**Cardiff Zoo opened.

Arts and literature

*21 March – Actress Rachel Roberts marries Rex Harrison in Genoa.
*Welsh National Opera launches a training scheme for singers.
*Dick Francis publishes his first thriller, '' Dead Cert''.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llanelli)
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Caradog Prichard, "Llef un yn Llefain"
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – D. Emlyn Lewis, ''Y Cwmwl''
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – William Owen, ''Bu Farw Ezra Bebb''

New books

* Clifford Dyment – ''The Railway Game''
* John Roberts Evans – ''Ar Drothwy'r Nos''
*William Evans (Wil Ifan) – ''Colofnau Wil Ifan''
* Michael Foot – ''Aneurin Bevan'', vol. 1
*Menna Gallie – ''The Small Mine''
*Llewelyn Wyn Griffith – ''The Adventures of Pryderi''
*'' The Oxford Book of Welsh Verse''
* Gwyn Thomas – ''Chwerwder yn y Ffynhonnau''
* Norman Thomas – ''Ask at the Unicorn''
*Raymond Williams – ''Communications''

Music

*Dilys Elwyn-Edwards – ''Caneuon y Tri Aderyn''
* Alun Hoddinott – ''Folksong Suite''
*William Mathias – ''Postlude''
* Grace Williams – ''Four Medieval Welsh Poems for alto, harp and harpsichord''
* David Wynne – ''Cymric Rhapsodies''

Film

* Richard Burton and Donald Houston appear in '' The Longest Day''.
* Peter Greenaway makes his first film: ''Death of Sentiment''.
*Jack Howells makes the short documentary ''Dylan Thomas'' featuring Richard Burton.

Broadcasting

Welsh-language radio

*13 February – Saunders Lewis gives the Welsh Home Service’s Annual Lecture, entitled '' Tynged yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language)''.

Television

*14 September – The first transmitter, at Preseli, of the Teledu Cymru – Wales (West and North) Television service comes on air.

English-language television

*17 September – First edition of the Welsh national news programme BBC Wales Today.

Sport

*Football – John Charles returns to Leeds United from several years playing for Italian clubs.
*Golf – Brian Huggett wins the Dutch Open championship.
*BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ivor Allchurch

Births

*5 January – Geraint Williams, footballer
*11 January – Chris Bryant, politician
*16 January – Bethan Gwanas, Welsh-language writer
*25 May - Martin Goldsmith, footballer
*27 June – Michael Ball, singer
*22 August – Iolo Williams, naturalist and TV presenter
*28 August – David Melding, politician
*15 September – Kevin Allen, actor, comedian and film director
*22 July – Arthur Emyr, rugby union player and television presenter and executive
*22 August – Iolo Williams, naturalist and broadcaster
*5 September – Peter Wingfield, actor
*15 October – Mark Ring, rugby union player
*24 October – Jonathan Davies, rugby union and league player
*11 November - Chris Sander, footballer
*12 December – John Jones, record producer
*31 December – Chris Hallam, wheelchair athlete
*''date unknown''
** Fiona Bennett, composer
**Sioned Wiliam, broadcaster, writer and producer

Deaths

*18 January – Iolo Aneurin Williams, journalist, author and politician, 71
*26 January – George Jeffreys, founder of the Elim Pentecostal Church, 72
*11 February – John Edward Daniel, theologian, chairman of Plaid Cymru, 59 (road accident)
*14 February – Ezer Griffiths, physicist, 73
*27 February – Albert Rhys Williams, Welsh-American journalist, labour organiser, and publicist, 78
*23 March – Clement Davies, politician, 80
*April – Edgar Morgan, rugby union player, 80
*25 April – Herbie Baxter, Glamorgan cricketer, 79
*30 April – Charles Williams, Anglican priest and academic, 55
*11 May – Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and author, 82
*16 June – Edgar Rees Jones, barrister and politician, 83
*24 June – Thomas Richards, historian, 84
*3 August - Edgar Phillips, poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, 72
* 23 August - Robert Bye, VC recipient, 72
*23 September - Margaret Jane Gordon (Lady Gordon), singer, 82
*5 November (in London) – Percy Cudlipp, journalist, 56
*30 November – Lewis Pugh Evans, Victoria Cross recipient, 81
*15 December – Charles Rhys, 8th Baron Dynevor, politician, 63
*17 December – Lonza Bowdler, Wales international rugby union player, 61
*21 December – Gary Hocking, motorcycle road racer, 25 (racing accident)

See also

* 1962 in Northern Ireland

References

{{reflist

Wales
1962 in Europe
1960s in Wales