This article is about the particular significance of the year 1970 to

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and its people.

Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas (until 20 June); Peter Thomas * Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff * 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 ...

– Tilsli

Events

11 January Events Pre-1600 * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. * 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad ...

– The last

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

es run on the Cardiff trolleybus system, the last such system in Wales. *

23 May Events Pre-1600 *1430 – Joan of Arc is captured at the Siege of Compiègne by troops from the Burgundian faction. *1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy. *1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII ...

– The 120-year-old Britannia Bridge built by Robert Stephenson across the

Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...

is destroyed by fire. *

2 June Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Sack of Rome: Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks. *1098 – First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ends as Crusader forces take the city; the second siege began five days later. 1601– ...

– During the construction of the

Cleddau Bridge The Cleddau Bridge (, cy, Pont Cleddau) in Pembrokeshire, Wales, carries the A477 road over the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock. Errors in the box girder design caused the collapse during construction in 1970. The bridge becam ...

, a cantilever collapses, resulting in the deaths of four workers. It is the last major bridge disaster in the UK. *

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 ...

– In the

UK General Election This is a list of United Kingdom general elections (elections for the UK House of Commons) since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, ...

: ** S. O. Davies, having resigned from the Labour Party, retains his Parliamentary seat of

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

, standing as an Independent Labour candidate. **

Gwynfor Evans Gwynfor Richard Evans (1 September 1912 – 21 April 2005) was a Welsh politician, lawyer and author. He was President of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru for thirty-six years and was the first Member of Parliament to represent it at Westmi ...

loses his seat at Carmarthen. ** Jim Griffiths retires as MP for

Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. ...

, to be replaced by Denzil Davies. **

Nigel Birch Evelyn Nigel Chetwode Birch, Baron Rhyl (18 November 1906 – 8 March 1981) was a British Conservative politician. The son of General Sir Noel Birch and his wife Florence Chetwode, Nigel Birch was educated at Eton. He was a partner in Cohe ...

retires from the House of Commons, to be created Baron Rhyl. *

25 October Events Pre-1600 * 285 (or 286) – Execution of Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers. * 473 – Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II ...

–

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

canonizes the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, who include the priests Philip Evans and John Lloyd, John Jones, David Lewis, John Roberts, and the teacher

Richard Gwyn Richard Gwyn (ca. 1537 – 15 October 1584), also known by his anglicised name, Richard White, was a Welsh teacher at illegal and underground schools and a Bard who wrote both Christian and satirical poetry in the Welsh language. A Roman ...

. *Dr Phil Williams becomes the first Chairman of Plaid Cymru.

Arts and literature

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

and

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

retreat to Bron-Yr-Aur to write songs for '' Led Zeppelin III''.

Awards

Bernice Rubens Bernice Rubens (26 July 1923 – 13 October 2004) was a Welsh novelist.She became the first woman to win the Booker Prize in 1970, for '' The Elected Member''. Personal history Bernice Ruth Reuben was born in Splott, Cardiff on 26 July 19 ...

wins the

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

for ''

The Elected Member ''The Elected Member'' is a novel by Welsh writer Bernice Rubens. It won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1970. Plot The novel's main character is Norman Zweck, who is addicted to amphetamines Substituted amphetamines are a class of compoun ...

''. *National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in

Ammanford Ammanford ( cy, Rhydaman) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, with a population of 5,411 at the 2011 census. It is a former coal mining town. The built-up area had a population of 7,945 with the wider urban area even bigger. Acco ...

) *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Tomi Evans, "Y Twrch Trwyth" *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Bryan Martin Davies, "Darluniau ar Gynfas" *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – ''withheld''

New books

English language

Ron Berry Ronald Anthony Berry (23 February 1920 – 16 July 1997) was a Welsh author of novels and short stories. Born in the Rhondda Valleys where he remained for most his life, his books reflect the working class of the industrial valleys though his v ...

– ''So Long, Hector Bebb'' *

Tom Earley Thomas Francis Aloysius Earley (February 19, 1917 – April 5, 1988) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played six seasons with the Boston Bees / Braves from 1938 to 1942 and 1945. In between his playing days Earley served in the United S ...

– ''The Sad Mountain'' *

Menna Gallie Menna Patricia Humphreys Gallie (18 March 1919 – 17 June 1990) was a Welsh novelist and translator. She is best known for her novels in the English language, and as the translator of Caradog Prichard's ''Un Nos Ola Leuad'', under the title ''Ful ...

– ''You're Welcome to Ulster!'' *

Sally Roberts Jones Sally Roberts Jones (born 30 November 1935) is an English-born Welsh poet, publisher and critic. Biography She was born Sally Roberts in London; her father was Welsh. She studied history at University College Bangor, then qualified as a libraria ...

– ''Turning Away'' *

John Ormond John Ormond (3 April 1923 – 4 May 1990), also known as John Ormond Thomas, was a Welsh poet and film-maker. Biography John Ormond Thomas was born on 3 April 1923 in Wales, at Dunvant, near Swansea. He studied philosophy and English at Swanse ...

– ''Requiem and Celebration'' *

Harri Webb Harri Webb (7 September 1920 – 31 December 1994) was a Welsh poet, Welsh nationalist, journalist and librarian. Early life Harri Webb was born on 7 September 1920 in Swansea, at 45 Tŷ Coch Road in Sketty, but before he was two the family mo ...

– ''The Green Desert''

Welsh language

Marion Eames Marion Eames (born Gwladys Marion Griffith Eames, 5 February 1921 – 3 April 2007)Dictionary of Welsh BiographRetrieved 29 September 2018./ref> was a Welsh novelist writing mainly in Welsh. She was also a talented musician. Biography Marion was ...

– '' Y Stafell Ddirgel'' *

J. Gwyn Griffiths John Gwyn Griffiths (7 December 1911 – 15 June 2004) was a Welsh poet, Egyptologist and nationalist political activist who spent the largest span of his career lecturing at Swansea University. Early life Born in 1911 in Porth in the Rhondda ...

– ''Cerddi Cairo'' * John Robert Jones – ''Ac Onide'' *

R. Williams Parry Robert Williams Parry (6 March 1884 – 4 January 1956) was one of Wales's most notable 20th-century poets writing in Welsh. Life R. Williams Parry was born in Tal-y-sarn, in Dyffryn Nantlle, a first cousin to the writers T. H. Parry-Williams ...

– ''Yr Haf a Cherddi Eraill'' *

Gwynne Williams Gwynne Williams (born 1937) is a Welsh writer of poetry and prose as well as a translator of numerous literary works from English into Welsh. A strong proponent of Cymraeg, the native language of Wales, Williams has been writing since the 1950s, ...

– ''Rhwng Gewyn ac Asgwrn'' * T. Wilson Evans – ''Iwan Tudur''

Music

* Badfinger – ''No Dice'' (featuring the original recording of " Without You") *

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...

– ''Vintage Violence'' *

Meic Stevens Meic Stevens (born 13 March 1942) is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Stevens's songs have a mystical, faintly psychedelic flavour, and are mostly sung in his native Welsh language. Still largely unknown outside Wales, he was discovered by DJ Jim ...

– ''Outlander'' *

Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets were a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1969. Although most notable now for their lead singer Shakin' Stevens, who went on to become one of the UK's most popular artists of the 1980s, the band released sever ...

– ''A Legend''

Film

* Stanley Baker stars in '' The Games''. *

Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...

appears in ''Start the Revolution Without Me''.

Welsh-language films

*''None''

Broadcasting

* 6 April – HTV starts broadcasting in colour from the Wenvoe transmitting station and from this day becomes known on air as HTV rather than Harlech Television. *Coverage of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod is the first colour programme to be made by

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 ...

Welsh-language television

*''Fo a Fe'' makes a star of

Ryan Davies Ryan Davies (22 January 1937 – 22 April 1977) was a Welsh comedian, actor, musician, singer, and songwriter. Though his career lasted just 11 years, he became widely known in Wales through his work with Ronnie Williams as the comedic double a ...

, who goes on to make three series of '' Ryan a Ronnie'' in Welsh with his partner

Ronnie Williams Ronald Clive Williams (29 March 1939 28 December 1997) was a Welsh actor and comedian, who remains best known for his association with Ryan Davies during the 1970s. Ronnie Williams began his career as an actor, but struggled for recognition, ...

English-language television

Sport

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

–

Eddie Avoth Eddie Avoth (born 2 May 1945) is a former boxer and actor. He was British and Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, with a record of 44 wins (20 by knockout) from 53 fights. History Avoth was born in Cardiff, Wales. He was a product ...

wins the Commonwealth lightweight title. *

Show Jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...

– David Broome wins the individual

Show Jumping World Championship The World Show Jumping Championships, or the show jumping competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games, was started in 1953, with individual competition. In 1978 Team competitions began, and men and women began competing against one another. From ...

. *

Snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

–

Ray Reardon Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gr ...

wins the World Professional Snooker Championship for the first time. *

David Broome David McPherson Broome (born 1 March 1940) is a retired Welsh show jumping champion. He competed in the 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1988 Olympics and won individual bronze medals in 1960 on Sunsalve and in 1968 on his best-known horse ''Mr Sof ...

wins

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru W ...

Births

1 January January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the year. ...

–

Brian Law Brian John Law (born 1 January 1970 in Merthyr Tydfil) is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international. Club career Law began his career with Queens Park Rangers making his debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road ...

, footballer *

7 March Events Pre-1600 * 161 – Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus (who changes his name to Lucius Verus) become joint emperors of Rome on the death of Antoninus Pius. *1138 – Konrad III von Hohenstaufen was elected king of Germany at Coblen ...

– Cameron Toshack, footballer *

19 March Events Pre-1600 *1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire. *1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends t ...

– Tracey Hinton, athlete *

2 April Events Pre-1600 *1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St. J ...

– Jason Perry, footballer *

15 April Events Pre-1600 * 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings. *1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscard. ...

–

Rebecca John Rebecca John (born 15 April 1970) is a presenter and reporter for ''Wales Today'', BBC Wales on British television. John was born in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. She read for a degree in French and German at Robinson College, Cambridge, be ...

, television presenter *

19 May Events Pre-1600 * 639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace. * 715 – Pope Gregory II is elected. * 1051 – Henry I of France marries the Rus' princess, Anne of Kiev. *1445 &n ...

– Stuart Cable, rock musician and television presenter (died

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

) *

25 May Events Pre-1600 *567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans. * 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo ...

– Robert Croft, cricketer *

–

Lucy Owen Lucy Owen (born 18 June 1971 as Lucy Jane Cohen) is a Welsh television news reader. Early life Owen attended Howell's School in Llandaff, Cardiff, and graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in English. She is of Jewish heritage. ...

, television presenter *

22 June Events Pre-1600 *217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. *168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Roman Republic, Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, Luciu ...

– Paul Davies, snooker player *

18 July Events Pre-1600 *477 BC – Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army. *387 BC – Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading ...

–

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

, rock musician *

27 July Events Pre-1600 *1054 – Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invades Scotland and defeats Macbeth, King of Scotland, somewhere north of the Firth of Forth. *1189 – Friedrich Barbarossa arrives at Niš, the capital of Serbian King Stefan ...

(in England) – David Davies, politician *

30 July Events Pre-1600 * 762 – Baghdad is founded. *1419 – First Defenestration of Prague: A crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council. *1502 – Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands ...

–

Alun Cairns Alun Hugh Cairns (born 30 July 1970) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician serving as the member of Parliament (MP) for Vale of Glamorgan since 2010. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2019. He was previously a member of ...

, politician *

9 August Events Pre-1600 *48 BC – Caesar's Civil War: Battle of Pharsalus: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt. * 378 – Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople: A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens i ...

– Lee Jones, football goalkeeper *

19 August Events Pre-1600 *295 BC – The first temple to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility, is dedicated by Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges during the Third Samnite War. * 43 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, later know ...

–

Me One Me One (born Eric Martin on 19 August 1970), also known as MC Eric, is a Welsh musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer, who rose to prominence for his work for the Belgian-based recording act Technotronic. Early life Born in C ...

(Eric Martin), singer-songwriter and rapper *

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 ...

– Kevin Lloyd, footballer *October –

Helen Stokes-Lampard Dame Helen Jayne Stokes-Lampard (born October 1970) is a British medical academic and a general practitioner. She is Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) a GP Principal and Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribin ...

, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners *

11 October Events Pre-1600 * 1138 – A massive earthquake strikes Aleppo; it is one of the most destructive earthquakes ever. *1142 – A peace treaty ends the Jin–Song wars. * 1311 – The peerage and clergy restrict the authority of Eng ...

(in England) –

Andy Marriott Andrew Marriott (born 11 October 1970) is an English-born Welsh professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is a journeyman player, having represented various clubs, and has also played for the Welsh national team. Football career Ma ...

, goalkeeper *

14 November Events Pre-1600 1601–1900 *1680 – German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope. *1770 – James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile. *1 ...

–

Derwyn Jones Derwyn Jones (born 14 November 1970, in Carmarthen, Wales) is a former professional Welsh rugby union player and Welsh international. He is the tallest Welsh player to be capped at 6 ft 10 inches tall, and weighed over 20 stone at his ...

, rugby union player *

27 November Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Luoyang is History of the Han dynasty#Reconsolidation under Guangwu, declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han. * 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank o ...

– Stephen Evans, actor and comedy writer *

29 December Events Pre-1600 *1170 – Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of Henry II of England, King Henry II; he subsequently becomes a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the ...

– Aled Jones, singer and radio presenter *

31 December It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Years Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the followin ...

–

Louise Rickard Louise Rickard (born 31 December 1970) is a Welsh rugby union player. She has played at lock, wing and centre positions. She is one of the most capped players in the history of women's rugby at 112 caps for Wales. Rickard played her first inte ...

, rugby union player

Deaths

3 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. * 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except ...

– Trefor Morgan, financier, 55 *

4 January Events Pre-1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. * 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army. 1601–1900 *1649 – Engli ...

–

David John Williams David John Williams (26 June 1885 – 4 January 1970) was one of the foremost Welsh-language writers of the twentieth century and a prominent Welsh nationalist. Life Williams was born at Pen-rhiw, a farmhouse near Llansawel, Carmarthenshire ...

(D. J. Williams), author and Plaid Cymru politician, 84 *

23 January Events Pre-1600 * 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor. * 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao. *1264 &ndas ...

– Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the

Urdd Urdd Gobaith Cymru () (known as the Urdd) is a national voluntary youth organisation, which claimed over 56,000 members in 2019 aged between 8 and 25 years old. It provides opportunities for children and young people across Wales to take part ...

, 74 *

26 January Events Pre-1600 * 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. *1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people. *1564 – The Council of Trent ...

– Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan), poet, 74 *

2 February Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...

–

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, ...

, philosopher, 97 *

16 February Events Pre-1600 *1249 – Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khagan of the Mongol Empire. *1270 – Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Livonian Order in the Battle of Kar ...

– Bil Perry, Wales international rugby player, 83 *

22 February Events Pre-1600 *1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. *1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdinand ...

–

Roddy Hughes Rhodri Henry Hughes (19 June 1891 – 22 February 1970) was a Welsh theatre, film and television actor, who appeared in over 80 films between 1932 and 1961. Selected filmography * ''Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) * ''Reunion'' (1932) * '' Say ...

, actor, 78 *

20 April Events Pre-1600 *1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII. 1601–1900 * 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament. * 1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake destroys ...

–

Thomas Iorwerth Ellis Thomas Iorwerth Ellis OBE (19 December 1899 – 20 April 1970) was a Welsh classicist, who wrote many books on Welsh literature and Welshmen (in Welsh and English), including a biography of his father, Thomas Edward Ellis. Early life Ellis, ...

, academic, 70 *

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 ...

– Bryn Evans, Welsh rugby international, 68 *

7 May Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...

Annie Davies Annie Davies (16 June 1910 – 7 May 1970) was a Welsh radio and television producer. Her parents were David and Elizabeth Davies, who lived in the Tregaron area. She attended schools in Castell Fflemish and Tregaron, before studying for a degr ...

, radio and TV producer, 59 **

Jack Jones Jack Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *Jack Jones (American singer) (born 1938), American jazz and pop singer *Jack Jones, stage name of Australian singer Irwin Thomas (born 1971) *Jack Jones (Welsh musician) (born 1992), Welsh mu ...

, novelist, 75 *

30 May Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...

– John Edward Jones, Plaid Cymru leader, 64 *

3 June Events Pre-1600 * 350 – The Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators. * 713 – The Byzantine emperor Philippicus is blinded, depose ...

– John Robert Jones, philosophy professor, 58 *

4 June Events Pre-1600 *1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries. *1561 – The steeple of St Paul's, the medieval cathedra ...

–

Daniel John Davies Daniel John Davies (2 September 1885 – 4 June 1970) was a Welsh Independent (Congregationalist) minister and Welsh language poet. He published under the name 'D.J. Davies' and was also well known as 'Davies Capel Als'. He was born in Waenfelen, ...

, Independent minister and poet, 84 *

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 ...

–

Billy Spiller William John Spiller (8 July 1886 – 9 June 1970), was a Welsh rugby union player and cricketer. His greatest achievements were in rugby, where he won ten international caps at centre for Wales between 1910 and 1913, but his short first-c ...

, cricketer and rugby player, 83 *

10 July Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 645 – Isshi Incident: Prince ...

–

Isaac Griffiths Isaac Bertie Griffiths (March 29, 1882 – July 10, 1970) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1941, and was a cabinet minister in the government of John Bracken. Griffiths was bor ...

, politician in Canada, 78 *

3 August Events Pre-1600 * 8 – Roman Empire general Tiberius defeats the Dalmatae on the river Bosna. * 435 – Deposed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius, considered the originator of Nestorianism, is exiled by Roman Emperor ...

– Sir Lincoln Evans, trade unionist, 80 *

26 August Events Pre-1600 * 683 – Yazid I's army kills 11,000 people of Medina including notable Sahabas in Battle of al-Harrah. *1071 – The Seljuq Turks defeat the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert, and soon gain control of most o ...

– Thomas Mardy Jones, miner and politician, 91 *

10 October Events Pre-1600 * 680 – The Battle of Karbala marks the Martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. * 732 – Charles Martel's forces defeat an Umayyad army near Tours, France. * 1471 – Sten Sture the Elder, the Regent of Sweden, with the ...

–

Owen Picton Davies Owen Picton Davies (9 February 1872 – 4 June 1940), was a Welsh Chairman and Director of Companies and a Proprietor of Hotels. He was also a Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician. Background Davies was the son of John Davies Glanmamog, o ...

, journalist, 88 * 8 November –

Huw T. Edwards Huw Thomas Edwards (19 November 1892 – 8 November 1970) was a Welsh trade union leader and politician. Early life Edwards was born in Rowen near the top of Tal-y-fan Mountain, North Wales. He was the youngest of seven children, all of whom ...

, trade union leader and politician, 77 *

17 November Events Pre-1600 * 887 – Emperor Charles the Fat is deposed by the Frankish magnates in an assembly at Frankfurt, leading his nephew, Arnulf of Carinthia, to declare himself king of the East Frankish Kingdom in late November. *1183 &ndas ...

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Naunton Wayne Naunton Wayne (born Henry Wayne Davies, 22 June 1901 – 17 November 1970), was a Welsh character actor, born in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales. He was educated at Clifton College. His name was changed by deed poll in 1933. Stage actor His fir ...

, actor, 69 *

9 November Events Pre-1600 * 694 – At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery. *1277 – The Treaty of Aberconwy, a humiliating settlement ...

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, trade union leader and politician, 77

References

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Wales