List of years in Wales explained

Indexes of individual years in Wales.2020s - 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 - 1740s - 1730s - 1720s - 1710s - Pre-1710

2020s

2029 in Wales –
2028 in Wales –
2027 in Wales –
2026 in Wales –
2025 in Wales –
2024 in Wales –
2023 in Wales –
2022 in Wales – 2022 Welsh local elections
2021 in Wales – 2021 Senedd election
2020 in Wales – Start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales

2010s

2019 in Wales – Cardiff City F.C.'s new signing, Emiliano Sala, is killed in a plane crash while returning to Wales from France.
2018 in Wales – Mark Drakeford replaces Carwyn Jones as First Minister.
2017 in Wales – June Osborne becomes the first female Bishop of Llandaff.
2016 in Wales – Ifor ap Glyn replaces Gillian Clarke as the National Poet of Wales.
2015 in Wales – The ferry service between Dún Laoghaire in Ireland and Holyhead ends after two centuries.
2014 in Wales – Wales win a record total of 36 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
2013 in Wales – A fire at the National Library of Wales causes some damage to the collection.
2012 in Wales – The Millennium Stadium hosts the opening event of the London Olympics in the football competition, with 11 matches being held in total.
2011 in Wales – The Welsh devolution referendum, 63.49% vote in favour of the Welsh Assembly able to make laws in areas it has powers for.
2010 in Wales – Wales hosts golf's Ryder Cup for the first time

2000s

2009 in Wales - Carwyn Jones takes over from Rhodri Morgan as First Minister of Wales
2008 in Wales - Resignation of Peter Hain as Secretary of State for Wales
2007 in Wales - Introduction of the legal ban on smoking 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 the pressure group Cymuned
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 - The campaigning group Cefn is founded
1984 in Wales - Beginning of the miners' strike
1983 in Wales - Neil Kinnock becomes leader of the UK Labour Party
1982 in Wales - 32 Welsh Guardsmen are 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 Saint David's Day 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 trains begin running 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 - The Welsh Office is 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 becomes the first male Welsh singer to reach no.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 writes 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 - The song We'll Keep a Welcome is first performed

1930s

1939 in Wales - The first wartime evacuees arrive in Wales
1938 in Wales - The Temple of Peace is opened in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1937 in Wales - Tommy Farr fights Joe Louis
1936 in Wales - Saunders Lewis and others are imprisoned for their sabotage attack on Penrhos aerodrome
1935 in Wales - Felinfoel Brewery starts selling canned beer
1934 in Wales - 265 miners are killed in the Gresford mining accident
1933 in Wales - Amy Johnson takes off from Pendine
1932 in Wales - Frank Brangwyn completes the Empire Panels
1931 in Wales - The Welsh School of Medicine is founded
1930 in Wales - The first youth hostel opens at Pennant Hall in the 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 is 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 - The Diocese of Swansea and Brecon is created
1922 in Wales - Urdd Gobaith Cymru is founded
1921 in Wales - The UK's first oil refinery opens 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 - Gilchrist-Thomas method of steelmaking developed at Blaenavon; Prince of Wales Colliery disaster at Abercarn
1877 in Wales - First soccer Welsh Cup
1876 in Wales - Cardiff RFC plays its first match
1875 in Wales - Mining disasters at New Tredegar and Pentyrch
1874 in Wales - Opening of Powysland Museum, Welshpool
1873 in Wales - Work begins on the Severn rail tunnel
1872 in Wales - University of Wales, Aberystwyth, is founded
1871 in Wales - Miners' strike in South Wales
1870 in Wales - Francis Kilvert begins his diary

List of years in Wales explained

2020s

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

1740s

1730s

1720s

1710s

Pre-1710

See also

Further reading