1959 in Wales
 1959 in Wales |
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1959 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
- Princess of Wales – vacant
- Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – William Morris
Events
Flag of Wales approved in 1959
- 1 January – The 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (informally known as the "Welsh Cavalry") is formed.
- February – The Queen makes the red dragon on a green and white background the official flag of Wales.[1][2]
- 4 May – Aneurin Bevan is elected deputy leader of the Labour Party.
- 8 October – At the UK general election:
- Newly elected MPs include John Morris (Aberavon); Donald Box (Cardiff North); Ifor Davies (Gower) and Geraint Morgan (Denbigh).
- Poet Waldo Williams stands as a Plaid Cymru candidate.
- Hugh Dalton retires from Parliament.
- The Local Government Commission for Wales is set up, chaired by Sir Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans.
- Sir William Jones resigns from the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in protest at the appointment of Henry Brooke.
- Thomas Parry becomes Principal of University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
- Will Paynter becomes Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain).
- Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, sells his holdings in Kemsley Newspapers to Roy Thomson.
- Gilbern Sports Cars begin production of their kit cars at Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, Glamorgan.[3]
Arts and literature
- Literature Wales is established as The Academi.
- Harry Secombe is voted Show Business Personality of the Year.
- Sir Lewis Casson and Dame Sybil Thorndike celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary by appearing together in Eighty in the Shade, a play written especially for them.
- Shirley Bassey is the first Welsh singer to hit number one in the UK pop charts, with "As I Love You".
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Caernarfon)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – T. Llew Jones
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Tom Huws
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – William Owen
New books
- Albert Evans-Jones – Cerddi Cynan, y casgliad cyflawn
- Menna Gallie – Strike for a Kingdom
- D. Gwenallt Jones – Gwreiddiau
- Edgar Phillips – Edmund Jones, "The Old Prophet"
- Kate Roberts – Te yn y Grug
- Bertrand Russell – My Philosophical Development
Music
- Grace Williams – All Seasons shall be Sweet
Film
- Rachel Thomas, Meredith Edwards and Megs Jenkins appear with John Mills and Hayley Mills in Tiger Bay.
- Hugh Griffith wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ben-Hur.
Broadcasting
- Statistics show that 50% of households in Wales have television licences.
- The BBC Third Programme becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe.
Welsh-language television
- Lili Lon (children's programme)
- Trysor o Gân (Treasury of Song)
English-language television
- Ivor the Engine (children's programme)
Sports
- Athletics – The Welsh Games are held for the first time.
- Boxing – Former world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde is elected to the American Boxing Hall of Fame.
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Graham Moore
Births
- 25 February – Mike Peters, musician
- 21 March – Colin Jones, boxer
- 24 April – Paula Yates, television presenter (died 2000)
- 3 May – Eddie Niedzwiecki, footballer
- 8 May – Jillian Evans MEP, politician
- 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, comedian
- 20 May – Annabel Giles, model
- 28 May – Steve Strange, born Steven Harrington, pop singer (died 2015)
- 18 June – Jocelyn Davies AM, politician
- 5 September – Mike Ruddock, rugby coach
- 7 November - Richard Barrett, composer
- 26 November – Dai Davies MP, politician
- date unknown - Paul Henry, poet
Deaths
- 1 January – Dan Jones, Wales international rugby player, 83
- 13 January – Henry Weale, Victoria Cross recipient, 61
- 3 February – Sir Evan Williams, 1st Baronet, industrialist, 87
- 21 February – Kathleen Freeman, classical scholar, 61
- 24 February - Sid Judd, international rugby player, 30
- 3 March – Billy Bancroft, rugby and cricket player, 88
- 21 April – David Bell, writer and curator, 43
- 26 May – Thomas Baker Jones, Wales international rugby player, 96
- 18 June – Nantlais Williams, poet and preacher, 84
- 7 July - Frank Williams, Wales international rugby player, 49
- 23 July – George Davies, international rugby player, 83
- 5 August – D. W. Davis, Governor of Idaho, 86
- 6 September – Edmund Gwenn, actor, 83
- 15 October – Thomas Wynford Rees, army officer, 61
- 27 November – Grenville Morris, footballer, 81
- 28 December – David Brazell, singer, 84
- 30 December – Dick Duckfield, cricketer, 52