1966 in Wales

none thumb | right 1966 This article is about the particular significance of the year 1966 to Wales and its people. Incumbents United Kingdom incumbents 1966 in the United Kingdom#Incumbents Secretary of State for Wales – Jim Griffiths (until 5 April); Cledwyn Hughes Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Cynan (outgoing) E. Gwyndaf Evans (incoming) Events April – Future Welsh Secretary Peter Hain arrives in the UK from South Africa with his family.Peter Hain Andre Odendaal Pitch Battles: Sport, Racism and Resistance Rowman & Littlefield Publishers 2021 9781786615244 352 12 May – Local elections take place across the county boroughs and districts, with the Conservatives winning a majority on Cardiff City Council for the first time in years.Tories in big poll come-back South Wales Echo 13 May 1966 1 18 June – Butlin's Barry Island holiday camp opens.Peter Scott A History of the Butlin's Railways: The Story of Billy Butlin's Amusement Park and Holiday Camp Miniature Railways Bowker British Library Kickout 2001 9781902368092 19 14 July – In the Carmarthen by-election, caused by the death of Megan Lloyd George, Gwynfor Evans wins Plaid Cymru's first Parliamentary seat.Dafydd Williams The story of Plaid Cymru: the party of Wales https://books.google.com/books?id=P41DAQAAIAAJ 1990 Plaid Cymru 978-0-905077-47-5 24 22 July Fifteen people are drowned when an overloaded trip boat collides with the Penmaenpool toll bridge in the Mawddach estuary.George Herd My entire family went on a boat trip that they never returned from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8n99xe7pvo BBC News 2026-07-26 2026-07-26 The M4 motorway Port Talbot by-pass is officially opened by The Queen.BBC Bristol – Severn Bridge opening ceremony. Accessed 3 August 2013 8 September – The Severn Bridge is opened.Roads in England https://books.google.com/books?id=dWan6RL9x48C 1966 H.M. Stationery Office 6 21 October – At Aberfan, 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.Aberfan: The mistake that cost a village its children https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47 www.bbc.co.uk 12 November 2020 22 October – 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.The Land and Economy of Appalachia: Proceedings from the 1986 Conference on Appalachia, October 30-31, 1986, University of Kentucky https://books.google.com/books?id=qerJWiX4BPgC 1987 The Center 73 26 October – The Welsh Office appoints the Aberfan Disaster Tribunal, chaired by Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, to investigate the causes of the disaster.gov.uk Background and Context 1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a796248e5274a3864fd68f6/InquiriesIncidentTheAberfanDisaster21October1966.pdf 26 January 2025 27 October – Almost a week after the Aberfan disaster, writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas makes his famous radio tribute to the children of Aberfan.https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gmpcf Gwyn Thomas on Aberfan, 1966 27 October 1966 BBC 26 January 2025 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.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_aberfan_disaster_/html/10.stm BBC News – In pictures: Aberfan Disaster, Queen's visit bbc.co.uk 30 July 2015 15 December – A concert in aid of the Aberfan disaster charity is held at London's Royal Albert Hall.Paul Anderson Mods: The New Religion https://books.google.com/books?id=0yz3AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT285 14 April 2014 Omnibus Press 978-0-85712-850-8 285 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, "Cynhaeaf"https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair Winners of the Chair National Eisteddfod of Wales 17 November 2019 21 February 2020 13 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210213204407/https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair dead National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Jones, "Y Clawdd"https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/crown-winners Winners of the Crown National Eisteddfod of Wales 17 November 2019 21 February 2020 7 November 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191107194429/https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/crown-winners dead National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheldhttps://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-prose-medal Winners of the Prose Medal National Eisteddfod of Wales 7 November 2019 7 November 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191107194428/https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-prose-medal dead New books English language Peter Bartrum – Early Welsh Genealogical Tractss12-BART-CLE-1907 Bartrum, Peter Clement (1907-2008), scholar of Welsh genealogy Michael Siddons 2018 26 January 2025 Charles Jones – The Challenger Welsh language Pennar Davies – Caregl Nwyfs8-DAVI-PEN-1911 DAVIES, WILLIAM THOMAS (PENNAR) (1911-1996), novelist, poet, theologian and scholar D. Densil Morgan 2011 26 January 2025 Dyfnallt Morgan – Gwŷr Llên y Ddeunawfed Ganrif Thomas John Morgan – Amryw Flawds11-MORG-JOH-1907 MORGAN, THOMAS JOHN Brynley Francis Roberts National Library of Wales 20 May 2017 New drama Gwenlyn Parry – 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. The performance wins him a BAFTA Best Actor award. Broadcasting BBC Wales opens new studios in Llandaff. 19 December – BBC opens Llanidloes transmitting station. 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. Sport Athletics – Lynn Davies becomes the first person to hold the European, Commonwealth and Olympic long jump titles simultaneously. Football – 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 wins the junior championship at Wimbledon. BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Lynn DaviesBBC Wales Sport Personality winners https://www.bbc.com/sport/wales/20670643 BBC Sport 29 July 2021 Births 21 March – Matthew Maynard, cricketerBill Frindall Carphone Group England test cricketers: the complete record from 1877 https://books.google.com/books?id=2zHYLIW7h9UC 2 August 1989 Willow 978-0-00-218339-0 304 24 March – Mark Williams, Liberal Democrat politician, MP for CeredigionValerie Passmore Dod's Parliamentary Companion: Guide to the General Election, 2005 https://books.google.com/books?id=XhMWAQAAIAAJ 2005 Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited 978-0-905702-57-5 415 14 April – Lloyd Owen, actor 29 April – Carl Dale, footballer 3 May – Darren Morgan, snooker player 5 May – Nicky Piper, light-heavyweight boxerReference Wales https://books.google.com/books?id=-j0ro22GZU8C 1994 University of Wales Press 978-0-7083-1234-6 338 8 July – Guto Harri, broadcaster 21 July – Sarah Waters, novelistKaye Mitchell Sarah Waters: Contemporary Critical Perspectives https://books.google.com/books?id=LSJMAQAAQBAJ&pg=PR13 12 September 2013 A&C Black 978-1-4411-9941-6 13 28 July – Andy Legg, footballer 16 August – Helen Thomas, Greenham Common campaigner 1 September – Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru politician, MS for Ceredigionhttps://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-22315 Jones, Elin Who's Who 16 October 2019 12 September – Niall Griffiths, English-born novelist 22 September – Ruth Jones, actress and writer 23 September – Adam Price, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Carmarthen East & Dinefwr 21 October – Phillip Price, golferTerry Spohn 2005 PGA Tour Official Fan Guide https://books.google.com/books?id=FFbw26nOjT8C 2005 Tehabi Sports 978-1-933208-01-5 2–254 10 November – Simon Richardson, paralympic track cyclist Date unknown – Saul David, historianhttps://sauldavid.co.uk/biography/ Biography Saul David 25 February 2020 Deaths 20 January – Gordon Macdonald MP, politician, 81Obituary: Ld. Macdonald Of Gwaenysgor 21 January 1966 The Times 14 21 January – William Davies, footballer, 83 27 January – Ronald Armstrong-Jones, barrister, 66Noel Botham Margaret - The Last Real Princess https://books.google.com/books?id=FzmtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT183 25 October 2012 John Blake 978-1-78418-722-4 183 18 February – Thomas Williams, 1st Baron Williams, 73 20 February – Emrys Evans, classicist and academic, 75https://biography.wales/article/s2-EVAN-EMR-1891 Evans, Sir David Emrys (1891-1966), educationist and translator Thomas Parry Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales 21 February 2020 March – Wilfred Mitford Davies, artist and publisher, 71https://biography.wales/article/s2-DAVI-MIT-1895 Davies, Wilfred Mitford (1895-1966), educationist and translator Margaret Mitford Williams Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales 21 February 2020 April – Charlie Jones, footballer, 66 13 April – Lionel Edwards, artist, 87Ryno Greenwall Artists & illustrators of the Anglo-Boer War https://books.google.com/books?id=uhwvAQAAIAAJ 1992 Fernwood Press 978-0-9583154-6-3 130 25 April – Iorrie Isaacs, Wales international rugby player, 54 26 April – Bill Everson, Wales international rugby player, 60 11 May – Thomas Hughes Jones, poet and author, 71https://biography.wales/article/s2-JONE-HUG-1895 Jones, Thomas Hughes (1895-1966), poet, writer and teacher Evan David Jones Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales 21 February 2020 14 May – Megan Lloyd George MP, politician, 64https://biography.wales/article/s2-LLOY-GEO-1888 Lloyd George (family) William Richard Philip George Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales 14 October 2019 1 June – Peter George, author, 42 (suicide) 23 June – Melbourne Thomas, rugby player, 70Melbourne Thomas player profiles Scrum.com 9 June – Elizabeth Watkin-Jones, children's author, 88https://biography.wales/article/s2-WATK-ELI-1887 Watkin-Jones, Elizabeth (1887-1966), author of children's books Bedwyr Lewis Jones Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales 21 February 2020 17 July – Albert Freethy, rugby referee and cricketer, 81 23 August – Ivor Hughes, speedway rider, 27 (killed in track accident)http://www.cradleyspeedway.co.uk/riders/ivorhughes.htm Ivor Hughes Cradley Heath Speedway 21 February 2020 27 August – Cecil Pritchard, rugby player, 64Jenkins John M. Pierce Duncan Auty Timothy Who's Who of Welsh International Rugby Players 1991 Bridge Books Wrexham 1-872424-10-4 130–131 21 September – Sir Thomas Williams Phillips, civil servant, 83Phillips, Sir Thomas Williams Who Was Who (online edition) Oxford University Press December 2007 http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U54597 2008-09-30 24 September – Arthur Green, footballer, 85Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 Joyce Michael 2012 Tony Brown 190589161X Third edition, with revisions Toton, Nottingham 117 26 September – Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player, 86 3 December – Iorwerth Thomas, politician, 71 23 November – Alvin Langdon Coburn, American-born pictorialist photographer, 84Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Photography, Lynne Warren: Photography https://books.google.com/books?id=675ZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA291 16 May 2006 Bukupedia 978-1-57958-393-4 291 date unknown – Simon Bartholomew Jones, minister and poetMeic Stephens The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00meic registration April 1986 Oxford University Press 90 See also 1966 in Northern Ireland References Wales Category:1966 in Europe Category:1960s in Wales