1958 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1958 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Minister of Welsh Affairs – Henry Brooke
• Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – William Morris

Events

• 18 January – Nigel Birch resigns as Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
• 5 February – The Wales national football team qualifies for this summer's World Cup in Sweden under the management of Jimmy Murphy.
• 6 February – Manchester United F.C., the English league champions where Jimmy Murphy is also assistant manager, are involved in a plane crash in Munich, West Germany, on the journey home from a European Cup tie in Yugoslavia. Seven United players are among the 21 people who die, but among the survivors is Swansea-born winger Kenny Morgans.
• 25 February – The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is launched by Bertrand Russell.
• 2 April – Accidental discovery of the Caernarfon Mithraeum.
• 6 May – Murderer Vivian Teed is hanged by Robert Leslie Stewart in Swansea Prison, the last hanging to take place in Wales.
• 19 June – Wales are knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals, losing to Brazil.
• 26 July – At the Empire Games in Cardiff, Elizabeth II announces that her son, The Prince Charles (now Charles III), is to be created Prince of Wales.
• 6 August – Daniel Granville West becomes the first Welsh life peer.
• 18 August
• Accidental discovery of Brymbo Man (c.2000 BCE).
• Regional postage stamps of Great Britain are first issued.
• 24 October – Huw T. Edwards announces his resignation from the chair of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire in protest at the decision to flood the Tryweryn valley.
• 13 December – New road bridge across the River Conway at Conway supersedes Telford's suspension bridge.
• Thomas Parry becomes Principal of University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ebbw Vale)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – T. Llew Jones, "Caerllion ar Wysg"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Llywelyn Jones, "Cymod"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Edward Cynolwyn Pugh, "Hunangofiant: Ei Ffanffer ei Hun"

New books

English language

• Tom Beynon – Howell Harris, Reformer and Soldier
• Brenda Chamberlain – The Green Heart
• Paul Ferris – A Changed Man
• Cyril Fox – Pattern and purpose: a study of early Celtic art in Britain
• Peter George – Red Alert
• Emyr Humphreys – A Toy Epic
• Bertrand Russell – Understanding History and Other Essays
• Raymond Williams – Culture and Society

Welsh language

• Aneirin Talfan Davies – Englynion a Chywyddau
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Blas y Cynfyd
• Bobi Jones – Nid yw Dwr yn Plygu
• D. Gwenallt Jones – Cofiant Idwal Jones
• T. Llew Jones – Trysor Plas y wernen and Merched y môr a chwedlau eraill
• Ernest Llwyd Williams – Crwydro Sir Benfro

New drama

• George Fisher – Y Ferch a'r Dewin
• John Gwilym Jones – Lle Mynno'r Gwynt
• Saunders Lewis – Brad

Music

• Daniel Jones – The Country Beyond the Stars (cantata)
• Ian Parrott – Cor Anglais concerto

Film

• Richard Burton stars in the film version of Look Back in Anger.
• Ronald Lewis co-stars in The Wind Cannot Read.
• Release of The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, with location scenes (representing China) filmed around Nantmor near Beddgelert.

Broadcasting

• July – In order to broadcast the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from Cardiff, a broadcasting centre is set up on the bank of the River Taff, near Cardiff Arms Park.

Welsh-language television

• Commercial TV becomes available in Wales, broadcasting some Welsh-language programmes, such as Amser Te.

English-language television

• 30 November – During the live broadcast of the Armchair Theatre play Underground on the ITV network, actor Gareth Jones has a fatal heart attack between two of his scenes.
• Gwlad y Gân / Land of Song, with Ivor Emmanuel and Sian Hopkins

Sports

• British Empire and Commonwealth Games (held in Cardiff):
• Wales' single gold medal is won by Howard Winstone in the bantamweight boxing competition.
• Silver medals are won by: John Merriman (6 miles), Malcolm Collins (featherweight boxing), and Robert Higgins (light-heavyweight boxing).
• Due to being on National Service in the British Army, Swansea fighter Brian Curvis competes in the games for England, winning a bronze medal at welterweight.
• Football – Wales reaches the quarter-finals of the World Cup, being knocked out by a goal from Pelé.
• Gymnastics – Margaret Neale of Cardiff is the British Women's Champion for the second year running.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Howard Winstone

Births

• 4 January – Gary Jones, actor
• 1 March – Ian Love, footballer
• 2 March – Ian Woosnam, golfer
• 8 March – Wayne Hughes, footballer
• 16 April – Caryl Parry Jones, singer
• 30 April – Claire Curtis-Thomas, politician
• 8 May – Aneirin Hughes, actor
• 17 May – Paul Whitehouse, actor, writer and comedian
• 3 July – Siân Lloyd, television presenter
• 18 July – Chris Ruane, politician
• 19 July – Angharad Tomos, author
• 3 September <small>(in Totnes)</small> – Tamsin Dunwoody, politician
• 16 September – Neville Southall, footballer
• 4 October – Anneka Rice, television presenter
• 24 November – Robin Llywelyn, novelist
• date unknown – Cerith Wyn Evans, conceptual artist

Deaths

• 31 January – Edgar Long, Wales international rugby player
• January/February – William Beynon, Canadian oral historian, of Welsh parentage, 69/70
• 6 February – Charles Langbridge Morgan, novelist and dramatist, 64
• 11 February – Ernest Jones, psychoanalyst, 79
• 18 February – Rhisiart Morgan Davies, physicist, 55
• 2 April – Tudor Davies, singer, 65
• 3 April – John Strand-Jones, Wales international rugby union player
• 19 April – Billy Meredith, footballer, 83
• 28 April – Joseph Booth, rugby player, 84/85
• 18 July – Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player, 77
• 20 July <small>(in London)</small> – Margaret Haig Thomas, Viscountess Rhondda, political campaigner and businesswoman, 75
• 29 August – Harry Beadles, international footballer, 60
• 25 September – Henry Arthur Evans, politician, 60
• 9 October – Sven Hansen, ship-owner, 82
• 30 October – Tommy Vile, Welsh international rugby player, 76
• 4 November – Dick Jones, Welsh international rugby player, 78
• 30 November <small>(in Manchester)</small> – Gareth Jones, actor, 33
• November – Ivor Lewis, Welsh-Canadian artist, 76
• 13 December – Rose Davies, teacher, feminist, and labour activist, 66
• date unknown – Evan Edwards, footballer, 59/60

See also

• 1958 in Northern Ireland

References