List of years in Wales

This page indexes the individual year in Wales pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.

2010s

2010 in Wales - Wales hosts golf's Ryder Cup for the first time

2000s

2009 in Wales - First Minister Rhodri Morgan retired and Carwyn Jones took the position
2008 in Wales - Resignation of Peter Hain as Secretary of State for Wales
2007 in Wales - Smoking ban introduced in public places
2006 in Wales - The Queen opens the new Senedd building in Cardiff.
2005 in Wales - Cardiff celebrates its centenary as a city (50 years as Welsh capital)
2004 in Wales - Wales Millennium Centre opens
2003 in Wales - Michael Howard becomes leader of the UK Conservative Party
2002 in Wales - Cowbridge businessman Peter Shaw is kidnapped in Georgia, but escapes after five months
2001 in Wales - Launch of Cymuned pressure group
2000 in Wales - Wales child abuse scandal

1990s

1999 in Wales - First elections to the National Assembly for Wales
1998 in Wales - Alun Michael becomes Secretary of State for Wales
1997 in Wales - Referendum on devolution results in narrow "Yes" vote
1996 in Wales - Founding of the Owain Glyndwr Society
1995 in Wales - Disappearance of Richey Edwards
1994 in Wales - Tower Colliery is bought by its workforce
1993 in Wales - John Redwood makes an unsuccessful attempt to mime to the Welsh national anthem
1992 in Wales - Ebbw Vale Garden Festival
1991 in Wales - Four nights of rioting in Ely, Cardiff
1990 in Wales - Flooding in Towyn, north Wales

1980s

1989 in Wales - The Hippocratic oath is taken in Welsh for the first time.
1988 in Wales - Steve Jones wins the New York Marathon
1987 in Wales - Ieuan Wyn Jones wins Ynys Môn
1986 in Wales - First Welsh Proms
1985 in Wales - Campaign group Cefn is founded
1984 in Wales - Beginning of miners' strike
1983 in Wales - Neil Kinnock becomes leader of the UK Labour Party
1982 in Wales - 32 Welsh Guardsmen killed on Sir Galahad in the Falklands War
1981 in Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales marries Lady Diana Spencer
1980 in Wales - Campaigners force the government to honour its promise of a Welsh language fourth television channel.

1970s

1979 in Wales - The March 1 devolution referendum rejects the idea of a Welsh Assembly by four to one.
1978 in Wales - Death of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis
1977 in Wales - Johnny Owen wins the British bantamweight boxing championship.
1976 in Wales - InterCity 125 high-speed train runs for the first time between Swansea and Paddington
1975 in Wales - Opening of the Cleddau Bridge
1974 in Wales - Berwyn Mountain Incident
1973 in Wales - Completion of the Llyn Brianne dam
1972 in Wales - The Local Government Act 1972 transforms Wales into eight counties.
1971 in Wales - Ryan Davies and Ronnie Williams become household names when their show is transferred to BBC1.
1970 in Wales - Bernice Rubens wins the Booker Prize.

1960s

1969 in Wales - Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales
1968 in Wales - First bilingual postage stamp
1967 in Wales - Welsh Language Act 1967
1966 in Wales - Aberfan disaster
1965 in Wales - Bryn Terfel born
1964 in Wales - Welsh Office established
1963 in Wales - First protest by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg
1962 in Wales - Opening of Llanwern steelworks
1961 in Wales - Atlantic College founded
1960 in Wales - Ricky Valance is first male Welsh singer to reach #1 in the charts

1950s

1959 in Wales - Welsh flag given official status
1958 in Wales - Last execution in Wales
1957 in Wales - Passing of the Tryweryn Bill
1956 in Wales - First Welsh-medium secondary school
1955 in Wales - Cardiff becomes official capital
1954 in Wales - Opening of Cardiff Wales Airport
1953 in Wales - Queen Elizabeth II makes her first official visit to Wales as queen
1952 in Wales - Wenvoe television transmitter comes into service
1951 in Wales - Death of Ivor Novello
1950 in Wales - Dylan Thomas makes his first visit to America

1940s

1949 in Wales - Dylan Thomas settles at the Boat House in Laugharne.
1948 in Wales - Aneurin Bevan brings in the Acts of Parliament that create the welfare state
1947 in Wales - Wreck of the Samtampa
1946 in Wales - Coal Industry Nationalisation Act
1945 in Wales - Lloyd George is created an earl
1944 in Wales - Grace Williams writers Sea Sketches
1943 in Wales - Welsh National Opera is founded
1942 in Wales - Welsh Courts Act
1941 in Wales - How Green Was My Valley is filmed
1940 in Wales - "We'll Keep a Welcome" first performed

1930s

1939 in Wales - First evacuees arrive.
1938 in Wales - Temple of Peace and Health built in Cathays Park, Cardiff.
1937 in Wales - Tommy Farr fights Joe Louis.
1936 in Wales - Saunders Lewis and others imprisoned for sabotage attack on Penrhos aerodrome.
1935 in Wales - Felinfoel Brewery starts selling canned beer.
1934 in Wales - 265 miners killed in Gresford mining accident.
1933 in Wales - Amy Johnson takes off from Pendine.
1932 in Wales - Frank Brangwyn completes the Empire Panels.
1931 in Wales - Welsh School of Medicine founded.
1930 in Wales - First youth hostel opens at Pennant Hall, Conwy valley.

1920s

1929 in Wales - Megan Lloyd George becomes Wales's first female MP
1928 in Wales - Amelia Earhart lands in Wales after flying the Atlantic.
1927 in Wales - Coleg Harlech founded.
1926 in Wales - Miners' strike leads to General Strike
1925 in Wales - Llyn Eigiau dam bursts, killing 16 people
1924 in Wales - Claude Friese-Greene travels through Wales.
1923 in Wales - Diocese of Swansea & Brecon created
1922 in Wales - Urdd Gobaith Cymru founded.
1921 in Wales - UK's first oil refinery built at Llandarcy
1920 in Wales - Death of Sir Owen Morgan Edwards

1910s

1919 in Wales - Kinmel Park Riots
1918 in Wales - First woman parliamentary candidate in Wales
1917 in Wales - Death of Hedd Wyn
1916 in Wales - 38th (Welsh) Division in action at Mametz Wood
1915 in Wales - Publication of My People by Caradoc Evans
1914 in Wales - Welsh Home Rule Bill fails
1913 in Wales - 439 men killed at Senghenydd in the worst disaster in British mining history
1912 in Wales - National miners' strike
1911 in Wales - Investiture of the future Edward VIII of the United Kingdom as Prince of Wales
1910 in Wales - First general election in which all Welsh constituencies are contested

1900s

1909 in Wales - Record British monthly rainfall of 56.5 inches at Llyn Llydaw, Snowdonia
1908 in Wales - Strumble Head lighthouse built
1907 in Wales - King Edward VII lays foundation of Bangor University
1906 in Wales - no Conservative MPs in Wales
1905 in Wales - David Lloyd George joins the Cabinet
1904 in Wales - start of 1904-1905 Welsh Revival
1903 in Wales - Death of Dr Joseph Parry
1902 in Wales - Opening of Great Orme tramway
1901 in Wales - Prince George and Princess Mary become Prince and Princess of Wales
1900 in Wales - Keir Hardie becomes first Labour MP

1890s

1899 in Wales - First gramophone recording in the Welsh language
1898 in Wales - Peak year of slate production in Wales
1897 in Wales - Marconi makes the first radio transmission from Lavernock Point
1896 in Wales - Opening of the Snowdon Mountain Railway
1895 in Wales - Welsh Grand National held for the first time
1894 in Wales - 290 men killed in a mining disaster at Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd
1893 in Wales - Wales win the Triple Crown for the first time
1892 in Wales - The South Wales Argus is launched
1891 in Wales - Birth of Kate Roberts
1890 in Wales - David Lloyd George becomes MP for Caernarfon

1880s

1889 in Wales - Opening of Barry docks
1888 in Wales - Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party is formed
1887 in Wales - Wreck of the Helvetia
1886 in Wales - Opening of Severn rail tunnel
1885 in Wales - Frances Hoggan is first woman doctor registered in Wales.
1884 in Wales - Opening of University of Wales, Bangor
1883 in Wales - Treorchy Male Voice Choir formed.
1882 in Wales - SA Brain & Company Ltd opens its brewery in Cardiff.
1881 in Wales - River Vyrnwy is dammed to create Lake Vyrnwy.
1880 in Wales - First "official" National Eisteddfod held at Caernarfon

1870s

1879 in Wales - Defence of Rorke's Drift by 139 South Wales Borderers
1878 in Wales - Open-hearth method of steel-making developed at Blaenavon
1877 in Wales - First soccer Welsh Cup
1876 in Wales - Cardiff RFC plays its first match
1875 in Wales
1874 in Wales
1873 in Wales
1872 in Wales
1871 in Wales
1870 in Wales

1860s

1850s

1840s

1849 in Wales
1848 in Wales
1847 in Wales - Llandovery College founded by Thomas Phillips
1846 in Wales
1845 in Wales
1844 in Wales
1843 in Wales
1842 in Wales
1841 in Wales
1840 in Wales

List of years in Wales

Further reading

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

1890s

1880s

1870s

1860s

1850s

1840s

1830s

1820s

1810s

1800s

1790s

1780s

1770s

1760s

1750s

Pre-1750