1956 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1956 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
– vacant - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
- vacant - Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
- John MorganJohn Morgan (bishop)John Morgan served as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon and subsequently as Bishop of Llandaff , in which post he was also enthroned on 21 September 1949 as Archbishop of Wales .... - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
- DyfnalltJohn Dyfnallt OwenRev. John Dyfnallt Owen , was a Welsh poet, and served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1954 until his death. He was often known simply by his bardic name, "Dyfnallt"....
Events
- Opening of the first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales - Ysgol Glan ClwydYsgol Glan ClwydYsgol Glan Clwyd is a Welsh medium secondary school, and was the first of its kind. It opened in 1956, initially at Rhyl on the coast before moving inland to St Asaph in 1969 . It is overseen by Denbighshire Local Education Authority.In 2006 it had 833 students, of whom 108 were in the sixth form...
, RhylRhylRhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. - Bangor Normal CollegeBangor Normal CollegeThe Normal College, Bangor was an independent teacher training college, founded in 1861 until 1996, when the College became part of University of Wales Bangor...
and Trinity College, CarmarthenTrinity College, CarmarthenTrinity University College was a university college in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.- History :...
introduce courses in Welsh-medium teaching. - 2 April - Huw WheldonHuw WheldonSir Huw Pyrs Wheldon OBE MC was a BBC broadcaster and executive.Wheldon was born in Prestatyn, Wales and educated at Friars School, Bangor. His father, Sir Wynn Wheldon, was a prominent educationalist, who had been awarded the DSO for gallantry in the First World War...
marries Jacqueline ClarkeJacqueline WheldonJacqueline Mary Wheldon , was an English author.-Early life and education:She was born in Clonmel Road, Fulham, west London, the first child and only daughter of Hugh Clarke , a toolmaker, and Lillie Nunns the daughter of a railway guard, Harry Nunns, and his wife Elizabeth...
. - 24 April - A 250,000 signature petition is presented to the Westminster parliament by the all-party Parliament for Wales Campaign.
- 9 May - The Gower PeninsulaGower PeninsulaGower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
becomes the first area in the British IslesBritish IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyArea of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. - 9 July - Mettoy introduce Corgi Toys model carModel carA model car or toy car is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even ATVs, etc. are often included in the general category of model cars...
s, manufactured in South Wales. - 22 November - In a mining accidentMining accidentA mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the processes of coal mining and hard rock mining...
at Lewis Merthyr Colliery, seven men are killed. - AberystwythAberystwythAberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
's town clock is demolished.
Arts and literature
- Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
periodical Y Faner is bought by Huw T. EdwardsHuw T. EdwardsHuw Thomas Edwards was a Welsh trade union leader and politician.Edwards was trade unionist who was for many years was the most influential figure in the Labour Party in north Wales. He was appointed the first chair of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in 1949...
and thus saved from going out of business. - The New ScientistNew ScientistNew Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
is founded by Percy CudlippPercy CudlippPercy Cudlipp , was a prominent Welsh journalist.He was born at 180 Arabella Street, Cardiff, and was the brother of Hugh Cudlipp and Reginald Cudlipp, both notable journalists. Percy Cudlipp began his journalistic career with the South Wales Echo...
, who becomes its first editor.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in AberdareAberdareAberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Mathonwy Hughes
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Ray Evans
New books
- Huw T. EdwardsHuw T. EdwardsHuw Thomas Edwards was a Welsh trade union leader and politician.Edwards was trade unionist who was for many years was the most influential figure in the Labour Party in north Wales. He was appointed the first chair of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in 1949...
- Tros y Tresi - Islwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc Elis was one of Wales's most popular Welsh-language writers.Born Islwyn Ffoulkes Ellis in Wrexham, Elis was educated at the University of Wales colleges of Bangor and Aberystwyth. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and he began writing poetry and prose, winning the...
- Yn Ôl i Leifior - David Rees GriffithsDavid Rees GriffithsDavid Rees Griffiths , also known by his bardic name of Amanwy, was a Welsh poet, and an older brother of politician Jim Griffiths....
- Caneuon Amanwy - Kate Roberts - Y Byw sy'n Cysgu
- Bertrand RussellBertrand RussellBertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
- Portraits from Memory and Other Essays - Waldo WilliamsWaldo WilliamsWaldo Williams was one of the leading Welsh language poets of the twentieth century. He was also a notable pacifist, anti-war campaigner, and Welsh nationalist.-Life:...
- Dail Pren
Film
- Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
stars in Alexander the Great; William SquireWilliam SquireWilliam Squire was a Welsh actor of stage, film and television, born in Neath, South Wales.As a stage actor, Squire performed at Stratford-upon-Avon and at the Old Vic, and notably replaced his fellow-countryman Richard Burton as King Arthur in Camelot at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway.His...
also appears. - Glynis JohnsGlynis JohnsGlynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer...
stars in The Court JesterThe Court JesterThe Court Jester is a 1956 musical-comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Angela Lansbury. The movie was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama...
. - Edmund GwennEdmund GwennEdmund Gwenn was an English theatre and film actor.-Background:Born Edmund John Kellaway in Wandsworth, London , and educated at St. Olave's School and later at King's College London, Gwenn began his acting career in the theatre in 1895...
makes his last film appearance.
Welsh-language television
- Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
begins producing produced up to an hour a week of current affairs and education programmes in Welsh, to serve the overlap audience in north Wales.
English-language television
- June - First televised English-language play produced in Wales, Wind of Heaven.
Sport
- BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- 27 August - Joe Erskine defeats Johnny Williams in Cardiff to win the vacant British heavyweight title.
- Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
under the captaincy of Cliff MorganCliff MorganCliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:...
, win the Five Nations ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
for the fifth time this decade. - 24 March - Wales beat France 5–3 in a game held at the National Stadium, Cardiff
- Wales
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearBBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearThe 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 Wales...
- Joe Erskine
Births
- 7 January - Johnny OwenJohnny OwenJohnny Owen was a professional boxer from Wales. His fragile appearance earned him many epithets, including ‘the Bionic Bantam’ and ‘the Merthyr Matchstick’. During his brief career, he held the Bantamweight Championships of Great Britain and Europe and became the first ever Welsh holder of the...
, boxer (d. 1980) - 7 April - Christine ChapmanChristine ChapmanChristine Chapman is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cynon Valley since 1999....
AM, politician - 14 June - Keith PontinKeith PontinKeith Pontin is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international.-Career:Pontin began his career at Cardiff City, working his way through the youth system before making his debut in a 2-0 victory over Charlton Athletic on the opening day of the 1976–77 season...
, former international footballer - 3 November - Carl HarrisCarl Harris (footballer)Stephen Carl Harris is a Welsh former international footballer. As a winger, Harris was noted for his express pace. Former Ipswich Town and England captain Mick Mills is on record as saying Harris was the most difficult opponent he ever faced.- Leeds United :He was signed professionally for Leeds...
, international footballer - 4 November - Nia GriffithNia GriffithNia Rhiannon Griffith is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Llanelli since 2005.-Background:...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, politician - 23 December - Robert GwilymRobert GwilymRobert Gwilym , sometimes known as Bob Gwilym, is a Welsh actor.Robert Gwilym is from Neath in south Wales, where his family owned a clothes shop...
, actor
Deaths
- 4 January - Robert Williams Parry, poet, 71
- 14 January - Sam RamseySam RamseySamuel "Sam" Ramsey was a Scottish-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Treorchy and international rugby for Wales...
, Wales international rugby union player - 22 February - Nathaniel WaltersNathaniel WaltersNathaniel "Danny" Walters was a Welsh rugby union forward who played club rugby for Llanelli and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
, Wales international rugby player, 80 - 19 May - Peter FreemanPeter Freeman (politician)Peter Freeman was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Biography:He was elected as Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire at the 1929 general election, defeating the Conservative MP Walter D'Arcy Hall by only 187 votes...
, politician, 67 - 8 June - Walter Rice, 7th Baron DynevorWalter Rice, 7th Baron DynevorWalter FitzUryan Rice, 7th Baron Dynevor was a British military officer, civil servant and politician. He was the only son and heir of the 6th Baron Dynevor.He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford...
, soldier, civil servant and politician, 82 - 5 July - Fred BirtFred BirtFred Birt was a Welsh international, rugby union centre who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby with Monmouthshire. He won seven caps for Wales but is most notable for his outstanding performance against the 1912 touring South African team for Newport...
, Welsh international rugby union player, 69 - 11 June - Frank BrangwynFrank BrangwynSir Frank William Brangwyn RA RWS RBA was an Anglo-Welsh artist, painter, water colourist, virtuoso engraver and illustrator, and progressive designer.- Biography :...
, artist, 89 - 17 August - William Thomas HavardWilliam Thomas HavardRt. Rev. William Thomas Havard MC was a Welsh First World War military chaplain, and rugby union international player who was later successively bishop of two dioceses of the Church in Wales: St Asaph and St David's....
, Bishop of St. Davids and international rugby player, 66 - 31 August - Winifred Coombe TennantWinifred Coombe TennantWinifred Coombe Tennant was a Welsh suffragette, politician, philanthropist, patron of the arts and spiritualist. She was also known by the bardic name "Mam o'r Nedd"....
, politician and philanthropist, 81 - 11 October - David James DaviesDavid James DaviesDr. D.J. Davies , was a Welsh economist, industrialist, prize winning essayist, author, political activist, pilot, and an internationalist...
, economist and politician, 63 - 22 November - Rhys Hopkin MorrisRhys Hopkin MorrisSir Rhys Hopkin Morris was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956....
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, politician, 68 - 16 December - Nina HamnettNina HamnettNina Hamnett was a Welsh artist and writer, and an expert on sailors' chanteys, who became known as the Queen of Bohemia.- Early life :...
, artist, 66