This article is about the particular significance of the year 2002 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and t ...

* Secretary of State for Wales ** Paul Murphy (until 24 October) ** Peter Hain * Archbishop of Wales – Rowan Williams,

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, whi ...

(translated) * 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 ...

** Meirion Evans (outgoing) ** Robyn Llŷn (incoming)

Events

*In the BBC's

100 Greatest Britons ''100 Greatest Britons'' is a television series that was broadcast by the BBC in 2002. It was based on a television poll conducted to determine who the British people at that time considered the greatest Britons in history. The series included in ...

poll, those with a Welsh connection who finished in the top 100 were: **

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

- 3 ** Elizabeth I of England - 7 **

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

- 23 ** Henry VIII of England - 40 **

Aneurin Bevan Aneurin "Nye" Bevan PC (; 15 November 1897 – 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, noted for tenure as Minister of Health in Clement Attlee's government in which he spearheaded the creation of the British National Health ...

- 45 **

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...

- 72 ** Richard Burton - 96 *

14 February Events Pre-1600 * 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt. * 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis t ...

– at the Ogmore by-election, the Labour Party candidate Huw Irranca-Davies holds the seat held by Sir Ray Powell until his death *

13 March Events Pre-1600 *624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh. *1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War. *1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...

- The ferry is introduced on the Fishguard– Rosslare route. *April - Welsh Assembly Government concessionary travel scheme (‘Cerdyn Cymru’) entitles over-60s and registered disabled people to uniform free off-peak travel on all stage carriage bus services. *May - H & Claire release their debut single. * May 25 - Jessica Garlick represents the UK in the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

held in Estonia. *June **Archaeologists discover the Newport ship. ** DNA from the exhumed body of

Joe Kappen Joseph William Kappen (30 October 1941 – 17 June 1990), also known as the Saturday Night Strangler, was a Welsh serial killer who committed the rape and murder of three teenage girls in Llandarcy and Tonmawr, near his home town of Port T ...

proves beyond reasonable doubt that he was responsible for the murders of three teenage girls in 1973. * June 18 - Cowbridge businessman Peter Shaw is kidnapped while working in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is held in brutal conditions until he escapes in November. *

June 28 Events Pre-1600 * 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch. * 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II. * 1461 – ...

- David Morris receives four life sentences for the Clydach murders of June 1999. Despite his having been a suspect days after the murder was committed, it had taken police 21 months to arrest and charge him. *July **Research reveals that Wales has the highest figures for company failures of any region of the UK. **

Ebbw Vale Steelworks Ebbw Vale Steelworks was an integrated steel mill located in Ebbw Vale, South Wales. Developed from 1790, by the late 1930s it had become the largest steel mill in Europe. Nationalized after World War II, as the steel industry changed to bulk han ...

shut down. *August - "Barney" saves his owners' lives by warning them of a fire at their home in Wrexham. *

August 5 Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty. * 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...

- Rowan Williams is admitted to the

Gorsedd A gorsedd (, plural ''gorseddau'') is a community or meeting of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is spelled gorsedh in Cornish and goursez in Breton. When the term is used without qualification, it usually r ...

of bards. *October - Archaeological excavations on a Bronze Age site recover the Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc, one of the earliest gold objects found in Wales. * October 24 - Paul Murphy is appointed

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

Arts and literature

*Teenage actor Gethin Rhys Williams is killed in an accident in Spain. * Connie Fisher wins the Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod "Songs from the Shows" competition. *

Menna Elfyn Menna Elfyn FLSW (born 1952) is a Welsh poet, playwright, columnist, and editor who writes in Welsh. She has been widely commended and translated. She was imprisoned for her campaigning as a Welsh-language activist. Background During the 1970s ...

is named Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair -

Myrddin ap Dafydd Myrddin ap Dafydd (born 25 July 1956) is a Welsh writer, publisher and chaired bard. In 2018 he was elected Archdruid of Wales. Myrddin ap Dafydd was born in Llanrwst, north Wales. He was educated in the town's schools and at the University Col ...

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Aled Jones Lewis *National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - ''O! Tyn y Gorchudd - Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones'' by

Angharad Price Angharad Price is a Welsh academic and novelist. She is a recipient of the Glyndŵr Award. Biography Price was born in Bethel, Gwynedd, Wales, the daughter of the Welsh historian . She graduated with a BA and DPhil in Modern Languages fr ...

* Wales Book of the Year: **English language:

Stevie Davies Stevie Davies is a Welsh novelist, essayist and short story writer. She was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1998, and is also a fellow of the Welsh Academy. Her novel '' The Element of Water'' was longlisted for the Booke ...

, ''The Element of Water'' **Welsh language: *Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen -

Eurig Wyn Eurig Wyn (10 October 1944 – 25 June 2019) was a Welsh politician and reporter. He was a Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales from 1999 to 2004, when he lost his seat, in part due to a reduction of the number of seats allo ...

* John Tripp Prize for Spoken Poetry - Cliff Forshaw

New books

English language

Richard J. Evans Sir Richard John Evans (born 29 September 1947) is a British historian of 19th- and 20th-century Europe with a focus on Germany. He is the author of eighteen books, including his three-volume ''The Third Reich Trilogy'' (2003–2008). Evans was ...

- ''Telling Lies About Hitler'' * Ken Follett - ''

Hornet Flight ''Hornet Flight'' is a Second World War-based spy thriller written by British author Ken Follett. It was published in 2002 by Macmillan in the UK and Dutton in the US. Plot introduction By late June 1941, the United Kingdom alone stood against ...

'' *

Steve Jones Steve or Steven Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Steve Jones (English presenter) (born 1945), English musician, disk jockey, television presenter, and voice-over artist *Steve Jones (musician) (born 1955), English rock and roll guita ...

- ''The Descent of Men'' * Jo Mazelis - ''Diving Girls'' *

Jan Morris (Catharine) Jan MorrisJan Morris, Paul Clements, University of Wales Press, 2008, p. 7 (born James Humphry Morris; 2 October 192620 November 2020) was a Welsh historian, author and travel writer. She was known particularly for the ''Pax Brita ...

- ''A Writer's House in Wales'' * Steve Strange - ''Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange'' *

Rachel Trezise Rachel Trezise (born 1978) is a Welsh author, born in Cwmparc, Wales. Her debut collection of short stories, ''Fresh Apples'', won the inaugural Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006. Early life Rachel Trezise was born in Cwmparc, Rhondda in 1978. Her fam ...

- ''In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl'' * Rowan Williams - ''Arius - Heresy and Tradition''

Welsh language

Grahame Davies Grahame Davies LVO (born 1964) is a poet, author, editor, librettist, literary critic and former journalist. He was brought up in the former coal mining village of Coedpoeth near Wrexham in north east Wales. Education After gaining a degree i ...

- ''Cadwyni Rhyddid'' *

- ''O! Tyn y Gorchudd'' *

Eirug Wyn Eirug Wyn (11 December 1950 – 25 April 2004) was a Welsh satirical novelist who wrote in the Welsh language. He was born Eirug Price Wynne, in Llanbrynmair in Mid Wales, and educated at Brynrefail School and Trinity College, Carmarthen. He su ...

- ''Bitsh''

Drama

Dic Edwards Dic Edwards (born 1948) is a British playwright, poet and teacher of creative writing. His writing often touches upon political and social issues, nationalism and democracy. Early life Edwards was born in Cardiff. He was educated at Whitchurch Hi ...

- ''Franco's Bastard''

Film

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...

stars in ''Laurel Canyon''. * Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter for the third time, in '' Red Dragon''.

Welsh-language films

*''Gwyfyn''. *''Oedd yr Addewid''

Music

3SL 3SL were a Wales, Welsh pop (music), pop group made up of brothers Steve (born 5 January 1979), Anthony "Ant" (born 26 October 1983), and Andy Scott-Lee (born 29 March 1980). Originally from Rhyl in North Wales, they were managed by their elder ...

- "Take it Easy" (single) *

Carreg Lafar Carreg Lafar is a contemporary traditional Welsh folk band. Formed in Cardiff by Rhian Evan-Jones, Antwn Owen-Hicks, James Rourke, Linda Owen Jones, and Simon O'Shea, ''Carreg Lafar'' means "a speaking stone", or "echo stone". Carreg Lafar is ...

- ''Profiad'' (album) * Feeder - ''Comfort In Sound'' (album) * Mclusky - '' Mclusky Do Dallas'' * Bonnie Tyler - ''Heart & Soul/Heart Strings'' (album)

Broadcasting

English-language television

*''Cable TV'' (chat show with Stuart Cable)

Welsh-language television

*''Gwyfyn''

Sport

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

* Mark Hughes

2002 Commonwealth Games

25 July Events Pre-1600 * 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. * 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...

4 August Events Pre-1600 * 598 – Goguryeo-Sui War: In response to a Goguryeo (Korean) incursion into Liaoxi, Emperor Wéndi of Sui orders his youngest son, Yang Liang (assisted by the co-prime minister Gao Jiong), to conquer Goguryeo during th ...

– At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the Wales team wins a total of 31 medals: 6 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze.

Cycling

*Andrew Windsor wins the Welsh National Road Race Championships.

Football

* John Fashanu becomes Chairman of

Barry Town Barry Town United Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Y Barri) is a semi-professional association football team based in Barry, Wales. They are known for representing Wales in Europe as winners of the Cymru Premier and Welsh Cup during ...

. *

are Welsh Cup winners after beating

Bangor City Bangor City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Bangor) are an inactive Welsh football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd. They started the 2021–22 season in the Cymru North the second level of the Welsh football league system, but ...

4–1, and win a sixth

League of Wales The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...

title. *Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are:

Ton Pentre Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district of ...

(Division 1), Garden Village (Division 2) & Newport YMCA (Division 3). *

Welshpool Town Welshpool Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Y Trallwng) is a football team, based in Welshpool, playing in the Mid Wales Football League. The club was founded as Welshpool Football Club on 28 August 1877 following a meeting at the National Sc ...

are champions of the Cymru Alliance.

Horse racing

27 December Events Pre-1600 * 537 – The second Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is consecrated. *1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to Indigenous peoples of the Americas, native Indi ...

– The Welsh National is won by Mini Sensation, ridden by Tony Dobbin.

Rugby union

*December –

Brynmawr RFC Brynmawr Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Brynmawr in South Wales. The club presently plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division One East league and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons. In 2002 Brynmawr RFC, ...

and

Abertillery RFC Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their website, they were founded in 1883 by a coal miner named Doug Wallace who was a local resident who moved from Scotland in 1882, Wallace was know ...

withdraw from the Principality Cup, after the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running ...

makes an error during the live radio draw for the fifth round.

Snooker

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 becom ...

– Paul Hunter wins the Welsh Open tournament in Cardiff. *

3 March Events Pre-1600 * 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Emperor Shōmu, Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japa ...

– Mark Williams wins the China Open tournament in Shanghai. *

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 ...

– Mark Williams wins his second UK Championship title.

Births

23 February Events Pre-1600 * 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution. * 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...

Emilia Jones Emilia Annis I. Jones (born 23 February 2002) is an English actress. She played the lead role of Ruby Rossi in the Academy Award-winning 2021 film '' CODA''. She has received several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a nomi ...

, actress, daughter of Aled Jones *

15 September Events Pre-1600 * 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes. *1440 – Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by ...

Medi Harris Medi Eira Harris (born 15 September 2002) is a Welsh international swimmer competing for Great Britain and Wales in backstroke and freestyle. She was part of the gold medal-winning women's 4x100 freestyle relay team at the 2022 European Aquatic ...

, swimmer *

17 December Events Pre-1600 *497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome. * 546 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under king Totila plunder the city, by bribing the Byzantine garrison. * 920 – Romanos I Lekapen ...

- Matt Richards, Olympic swimmer (in Worcester) *

22 December Events Pre-1600 *AD 69 – Vespasian is proclaimed Emperor of Rome; his predecessor, Vitellius, attempts to abdicate but is captured and killed at the Gemonian stairs. * 401 – Pope Innocent I is elected, the only pope to succeed his ...

Emma Finucane Emma Finucane (born 22 December 2002) is a British and Welsh track cyclist. She is the 2023 UCI world champion in women's individual sprint, the third Briton (after Victoria Pendleton and Becky James) and second Welsh woman (after James) to win ...

, cyclist

Deaths

2 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. * 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empir ...

** Ian Grist, politician, 63 ** Arthur Joseph, cricketer, 82 *

7 January Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting. * 1325 – Alfonso IV ...

- Jon Lee, rock musician, 33 *

12 January Events Pre-1600 * 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire. *1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned ...

- Moss Evans, trade union leader, 76 *

3 February Events Pre-1600 * 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, uniting the fortunes of those two states. *1451 – Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire. *1488 – ...

Edward Thomas Chapman Company Sergeant Major Edward Thomas Chapman VC, BEM (13 January 1920 – 3 February 2002) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth fo ...

, Victoria Cross recipient, 82 *

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 ...

David James Dewi, Dai, Dafydd or David James may refer to: Performers *David James (actor, born 1839) (1839–1893), English stage comic and a founder of London's Vaudeville Theatre *David James (actor, born 1967) (born 1967), Australian presenter of ABC's ''P ...

, cricketer, 80 *March -

Geoff Charles Geoff Charles (28 January 1909 – 7 March 2002) was a Welsh photojournalist. His collection of over 120,000 images is being conserved and digitised by the National Library of Wales. Biography Charles was born near Wrexham in the small communi ...

, photojournalist, 93 *

2 March Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his ''bucellarii'' are almost cut of ...

- Mary Grant Price, costume designer, 85 *

Bill Hopkin William Henry Hopkin (1 July 1914 – 3 March 2002) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. Hopkin was born in Newport, Wales, Newport, he played representative level rugby union (RU) ...

, rugby player, 87 * 6 March - David Jenkins, Librarian of the National Library of Wales 1969–79, 89 *

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 ...

- Sir

Ewart Jones Sir Ewart Ray Herbert Jones FRS (16 March 1911 – 7 May 2002) was a Welsh organic chemist and academic administrator, whose fields of expertise led him to discoveries into the chemistry of natural products, mainly steroids, terpenes and vitami ...

, organic chemist and academic administrator, 91 *

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 ...

Willie Davies Willie Davies (23 August 1916 – 26 September 2002) was a Welsh international dual-code rugby fly half who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for ...

, Wales international rugby union and league player, 86 *

6 October Events Pre-1600 *105 BC – Cimbrian War: Defeat at the Battle of Arausio accelerates the Marian reforms of the Roman army of the mid-Republic. *69 BC – Third Mithridatic War: The military of the Roman Republic subdue Armenia. *AD ...

Nick Whitehead Neville Joseph "Nick" Whitehead (29 May 1933 – 6 October 2002) was a Welsh sprinter. Early life and career Whitehead was born in Wrexham. He competed for Great Britain in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome in the 4 × 100 metres relay where he ...

, athlete, 69 *November - Ernie Jones, footballer, 81/82 *

3 November Events Pre-1600 * 361 – Emperor Constantius II dies of a fever at Mopsuestia in Cilicia; on his deathbed he is Baptism, baptised and declares his cousin Julian the Apostate, Julian rightful successor. *1333 – The Arno, River Arno f ...

- Sir

John Habakkuk Sir Hrothgar John Habakkuk (13 May 1915 – 3 November 2002) was a British economic historian. Biography Habakkuk was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, the son of Evan and Anne Habakkuk. He was named "Hrothgar" after Hroðgar in ''Beow ...

, economic historian, 87 *

20 November Events Pre-1600 * 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor. * 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Uyghur Khaganate, Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels. *1194 – Palermo is conq ...

- George Guest, organist and choirmaster of

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

, 78 *December -

Brian Morgan Edwards Brian Morgan Edwards (August 1934 – December 2002) was a Welsh businessman and politician who sponsored the first Welsh-language recording studio for popular music. He was described as a political "maverick". Edwards was born in Swansea and w ...

, businessman, 68 *

10 December Events Pre-1600 * 1317 – The "Nyköping Banquet": King Birger of Sweden treacherously seizes his two brothers Valdemar, Duke of Finland and Eric, Duke of Södermanland, who were subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköpi ...

Steve Llewellyn Stewart Marshall "Steve" Llewellyn (29 February 1924 – 10 December 2002) was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Abertillery RFC, and represe ...

, rugby league player, 78 *

24 December Events Pre-1600 * 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. * 640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. * 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, wher ...

- Jake Thackray, singer-songwriter, 64 *

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 ...

- Billy Morris, footballer, 84

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2002 In Wales Wales 2000s in Wales