This article is about the particular significance of the year 1966 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – Jim Griffiths (until 5 April); Cledwyn Hughes * Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris,

Bishop of Monmouth The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth. The episcopal see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, which ...

* Archdruid of the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...

Cynan Cynan (also spelled Conan or Kenan) is a Welsh masculine given name. It may refer to: * Cynan, the bardic name of Albert Evans-Jones (1895–1970), Welsh poet and dramatist * Cynan ab Iago (11th century), prince of Gwynedd and father of Gruffyd ...

(outgoing) **

E. Gwyndaf Evans Evan Gwyndaf Evans or "Gwyndaf" (7 March 1913 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh poet who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1966 to 1969. Gwyndaf came from Llanfachreth, Gwynedd. He was minister of Tabernacle Chapel, ...

(incoming)

Events

*April – Future Welsh Secretary Peter Hain arrives in the UK from South Africa with his family. *

12 May Events Pre-1600 * 254 – Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism. * 907 – Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the ...

– Local elections take place across the county boroughs and districts, with the Conservatives winning a majority on

Cardiff City Council Cardiff City Council was the local government district authority that administered the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district council replaced the pre-1974 county borough council. It was succeeded in 1996 by Car ...

for the first time in years. *

18 June Events Pre-1600 * 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China. * 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. * 860 – Byzantine–Rus' War: A fleet of about ...

–

Butlin's Barry Island Barry Island was a Butlin's, latterly Majestic Holidays, holiday camp located on Barry Island in Wales. It opened in 1966 and closed in 1996. History Barry Island ( cy, Ynys y Barri) is a small seaside resort in the Bristol Channel () about 9 m ...

holiday camp opens. *

14 July Events Pre-1600 * 982 – King Otto II and his Frankish army are defeated by the Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Italy. *1223 – Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II. *14 ...

– In the

Carmarthen by-election Carmarthen by-elections are the by-elections held on occasion for the British House of Commons constituency of Carmarthen in North Wales: * 1878 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election * 1882 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election * 1924 Carmarthen by-election * ...

, caused by the death of Megan Lloyd George, Gwynfor Evans wins Plaid Cymru's first Parliamentary seat. *

22 July Events Pre-1600 * 838 – Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids. * 1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of ...

**Fifteen people are drowned at Penmaenpool in the Mawddach estuary. **The

M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...

Port Talbot by-pass is officially opened by The Queen. * 8 September – The Severn Bridge is opened. *

21 October Events Pre-1600 *1096 – A Seljuk Turkish army successfully fights off the People's Crusade. *1097 – First Crusade: Crusaders led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemund of Taranto, and Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, begin the Siege of Ant ...

– At

Aberfan Aberfan () is a former coal mining village in the Taff Valley south of the town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. On 21 October 1966, it became known for the Aberfan disaster, when a colliery spoil tip collapsed into homes and a school, killing 116 ch ...

, following heavy rain, a colliery waste tip collapses onto the village's primary school, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Cledwyn Hughes, Secretary of State for Wales, and his government colleague, George Thomas arrive on the scene late afternoon, followed, in the evening, by Prime Minister

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

. *

22 October Events Pre-1600 * 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. * 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (now ...

– Lord Robens, chairman of the National Coal Board, arrives in Aberfan after going ahead with his installation as Chancellor of the University of Surrey, despite news of the disaster. *

26 October Events Pre-1600 *1185 – The Uprising of Asen and Peter begins on the feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki and ends with the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire. * 1341 – The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 formally beg ...

– The Welsh Office appoints the

Aberfan Disaster Tribunal The Tribunal of Inquiry into the Aberfan Disaster (the Aberfan Disaster Tribunal), chaired by Lord Justice Edmund Davies, was established in 1966 to inquire into the causes of and circumstances of the Aberfan disaster. The report of the tribunal ...

, chaired by Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, to investigate the causes of the disaster. * 27 October – Almost a week after the Aberfan disaster, writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas makes his famous radio tribute to the children of Aberfan. * 30 October – The Queen and her consort Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrive in Aberfan to pay their respects. It is reported that the Queen is moved to tears. *

15 December Events Pre-1600 * 533 – Vandalic War: Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum. * 687 – Pope Sergius I is elected as a compromise between antipopes Paschal and Theod ...

– A concert in aid of the Aberfan disaster charity is held at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Arts and literature

Awards

* British Press Awards – Special Award for Journalism – David Rhys Davies, ''Merthyr Express'' *National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Aberavon) *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair –

Dic Jones Dic Jones (30 March 1934 – 18 August 2009), was a Welsh-language poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Career Jones was born Richard Lewis Jones at Tre'r-ddôl in Ceredigion. The son of a farmer, he himself farmed at Fferm ...

, "Cynhaeaf" *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Jones, "Y Clawdd" *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – ''withheld''

New books

English language

* Peter Bartrum – ''Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts'' * Charles Jones – ''The Challenger'' * Raymond Williams – ''Modern Tragedy''

Welsh language

Pennar Davies William Thomas Pennar Davies (12 November 1911 – 29 December 1996) was a Welsh clergyman and author. Born William Thomas Davies, in Mountain Ash, the son of a miner, he took the name "Pennar" (a stream in Mountain Ash and the root of its Welsh n ...

– ''Caregl Nwyf'' * Dyfnallt Morgan – ''Gwŷr Llên y Ddeunawfed Ganrif'' * Thomas John Morgan – ''Amryw Flawd''

New drama

Gwenlyn Parry William Gwenlyn Parry (8 June 1932 – 5 November 1991) was a Welsh dramatist, the author of several plays in Welsh, including ''Saer Doliau'' (1966), ''Ty ar y Tywod'' (1968), ''Y Ffin (1973), ''Panto'', ''Sal'' and ''Y Tŵr'' (1978). Early life ...

– ''Saer Doliau (Doll Doctor)''

Music

* Alun Hoddinott – ''Concerto no. 3'', op. 44 *''Severn Bridge Variations'' (composite work composed by Malcolm Arnold, Alun Hoddinott, Nicholas Maw, Daniel Jones, Grace Williams and Michael Tippett)

Film

* Richard Burton stars in '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' alongside his wife

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

. The performance wins him a BAFTA Best Actor award.

Broadcasting

BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, BBC Cymru Wales is ...

opens new studios in Llandaff. *

19 December Events Pre-1600 *1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. *1187 – Pope Clement III is elected. *1490 – Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy. *1562 – T ...

– BBC opens

Llanidloes transmitting station The Llanidloes transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility consisting of a self-supporting 23 m lattice mast erected on land that is itself about 245 m above sea level about 1 km to the west of the town ...

Welsh-language television

English-language television

* Hywel Bennett makes an impact in his first major TV role in ''Where the Buffalo Roam'', a

Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of ficti ...

Sport

* Athletics – Lynn Davies becomes the first person to hold the European, Commonwealth and Olympic long jump titles simultaneously. *

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

– Ivor Allchurch plays his final game for Wales, against Chile. * Rugby union ** Phil Bennett makes his first appearance for Llanelli RFC. ** Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the third successive year. * Tennis – Future rugby star

J.P.R. Williams John Peter Rhys Williams (born 2 March 1949) is a former Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in international rugby during their Golden Era in the 1970s. He became known universally as J. P. R. Williams (or sometimes just as JPR) aft ...

wins the junior championship at Wimbledon. * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Lynn Davies

Births

21 March Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and ...

– Matthew Maynard, cricketer * 24 March – Mark Williams MP, politician *

14 April Events Pre-1600 * 43 BC – Legions loyal to the Roman Senate, commanded by Gaius Pansa, defeat the forces of Mark Antony in the Battle of Forum Gallorum. * 69 – Vitellius, commanding Rhine-based armies, defeats Roman emperor Otho ...

– Lloyd Owen, actor *

29 April Events Pre-1600 *1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. * 1386 – Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and beco ...

–

Carl Dale Carl Dale (born 29 April 1966) is a Welsh former professional footballer. During his career, he made over 300 appearances in the Football League for Cardiff City and Chester City, scoring over 100 goals. He remains a cult favourite among the ...

, footballer *

3 May Events Pre-1600 * 752 – Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico, assumes the throne. *1481 – The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties. ...

– Darren Morgan, snooker player *

5 May Events Pre-1600 * 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins. *1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. *1260 – Kub ...

– Nicky Piper, light-heavyweight boxer * 8 July – Guto Harri, broadcaster *

21 July Events Pre-1600 * 356 BC – The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is destroyed by arson. * 230 – Pope Pontian succeeds Urban I as the eighteenth pope. After being exiled to Sardinia, he became the ...

– Sarah Waters, novelist *

28 July Events Pre-1600 *1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina. *1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day his former Chancellor, Tho ...

–

Andy Legg Andrew Legg (born 28 July 1966) is a Welsh football manager and former Wales international player. Born in Neath, he began his professional career with Swansea City after joining the club from local non-league football at the age of 22. He made ...

, footballer * 16 August – Helen Thomas, Greenham Common campaigner *

1 September Events Pre-1600 * 1145 – The main altar of Lund Cathedral, at the time seat of the archiepiscopal see of all the Nordic countries, is consecrated. * 1173 – The widow Stamira sacrifices herself in order to raise the siege of Ancon ...

– Elin Jones AM, politician *

12 September Events Pre-1600 *490 BC – Battle of Marathon: The conventionally accepted date for the Battle of Marathon. The Classical Athens, Athenians and their Plataean allies defeat the First Persian invasion of Greece, first Persian invasion for ...

– Niall Griffiths, English-born novelist *

– Phillip Price, golfer *

10 November Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Emperor Leo II dies after a reign of ten months. He is succeeded by his father Zeno, who becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. * 937 – Ten Kingdoms: Li Bian usurps the throne and deposes Emperor Yang ...

– Simon Richardson, cyclist *''Date unknown'' – Saul David, historian

Deaths

* 20 January – Gordon Macdonald MP, politician, 81 *

21 January Events Pre-1600 * 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa. *1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conra ...

– William Davies, footballer, 83 *

27 January Events Pre-1600 * 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. * 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to b ...

–

Ronald Armstrong-Jones Major Ronald Owen Lloyd Armstrong-Jones, (''né'' Jones; 18 May 1899 – 27 January 1966) was a British barrister and soldier. He was the father of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, and father-in-law of Princess Margaret, younger da ...

, barrister, 66 *

18 February Events Pre-1600 *1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. *1268 &nda ...

– Thomas Williams, 1st Baron Williams, 73 *

20 February Events Pre-1600 *1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated. *1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawn (law), pawned by Norway to ...

– Emrys Evans, classicist and academic, 75 *March –

Wilfred Mitford Davies Wilfred Mitford Davies (23 February 1895 – March 15, 1966) was a Welsh artist and publisher, best known for his work with the Cymru'r Plant imprint to produce children's reading matter in the Welsh language. Davies was born at Menai Bridge, ...

, artist and publisher, 71 *April – Charlie Jones, footballer, 66 *

13 April Events Pre-1600 *1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. *1204 – Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire. 1601–1900 *1612 – In one of the epic samurai due ...

–

Lionel Edwards Lionel Edwards (9 November 1878 – 13 April 1966) was a British artist who specialised in painting horses and other aspects of British country life. He is best known for his hunting scenes but also painted pictures of horse racing, shootin ...

, artist, 87 * 25 April –

Iorrie Isaacs Iorwerth Isaac (12 October 1911 – 25 April 1966) commonly known as Iorrie Isaac, was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s. He played representative rugby union (RU) for ...

, Wales international rugby player, 54 * 26 April – Bill Everson, Wales international rugby player, 60 *

11 May Events 1601–1900 *1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons. *1813 – William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth discover a route across th ...

–

Thomas Hughes Jones Thomas Hughes Jones (23 January 1895 – 11 May 1966) was a Welsh poet and writer from Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) in West Wales. He wrote several collections of stories and contributed to various journals, including ''Welsh Outlook'', through ...

, poet and author, 71 * 14 May – Megan Lloyd George MP, politician, 64 * 1 June – Peter George, author, 42 (suicide) *

23 June 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

– Melbourne Thomas, rugby player, 70 *

9 June Events Pre-1600 *411 BC – The Athenian coup succeeds, forming a short-lived oligarchy. * 53 – The Roman emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia. * 68 – Nero dies by suicide after quoting Vergil's ''Aeneid'', thus ending the Ju ...

– Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author, 88 *

17 July Events Pre-1600 * 180 – Twelve inhabitants of Scillium (near Kasserine, modern-day Tunisia) in North Africa are executed for being Christians. This is the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world. * 1048 – Damasu ...

– Albert Freethy, rugby referee and cricketer, 81 * 23 August – Ivor Hughes, speedway rider, 27 (killed in track accident) *

27 August Events Pre-1600 * 410 – The sacking of Rome by the Visigoths ends after three days. * 1172 – Henry the Young King and Margaret of France are crowned junior king and queen of England. *1232 – Shikken Hojo Yasutoki of the Ka ...

–

Cecil Pritchard Cecil Clifford Pritchard (1 May 1902 - 27 August 1966) was an international rugby union hooker who represented Wales on eight occasions and was best associated at club level with Pontypool RFC. Personal history Pritchard was born in the Tranch ...

, rugby player, 64 *

21 September Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Avitus enters Rome with a Gallic army and consolidates his power. *1170 – The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman invaders. *1217 – Livonian Crusade: The Estonian leader Lembitu and Livonian lea ...

– Sir

Thomas Williams Phillips Sir Thomas Williams Phillips (20 April 1883 – 21 September 1966) was a senior official in the Civil Service. Phillips, a Welshman, was educated at Machynlleth County School and Jesus College, Oxford, where he obtained a first-class Bachelo ...

, civil servant, 83 *

24 September Events Pre-1600 *787 – Second Council of Nicaea: The council assembles at the church of Hagia Sophia. *1568 – Spanish naval forces defeat an English fleet, under the command of John Hawkins, at the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa near ...

– Arthur Green, footballer, 85 *

26 September Events Pre-1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar dedicates a temple to Venus Genetrix, fulfilling a vow he made at the Battle of Pharsalus. * 715 – Ragenfrid defeats Theudoald at the Battle of Compiègne. * 1087 – William II is crow ...

– Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player, 86 * 3 December –

Iorwerth Thomas Iorwerth Rhys Thomas (22 January 1895 – 3 December 1966) was a Welsh Labour Party politician. Thomas was born on 22 January 1895, the son of David William Thomas, a self-employed greengrocer of Cwmparc, Rhondda. He was educated at a local ele ...

, politician, 71 *

23 November Events Pre-1600 *534 BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage. *1248 – Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. *1499 – Pretender to the thr ...

–

Alvin Langdon Coburn Alvin Langdon Coburn (June 11, 1882 – November 23, 1966) was an early 20th-century photographer who became a key figure in the development of American pictorialism. He became the first major photographer to emphasize the visual potential of ele ...

, American-born pictorialist photographer, 84 *''date unknown'' – Simon Bartholomew Jones, minister and poet

References

{{reflist Wales