1970 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1970 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"
*Secretary of State for Wales - George Thomas
*Archbishop of Wales - Glyn Simon
*Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Tilsli

Events

*23 May - The 120-year-old Britannia Bridge built by Robert Stephenson across the Menai Strait is destroyed by fire.
*18 June - In the UK General Election:
**S. O. Davies, having resigned from the Labour Party, retains his Parliamentary seat of Merthyr Tydfil, standing as an Independent Labour candidate.
**Gwynfor Evans loses his seat at Carmarthen.
**Jim Griffiths retires as MP for Llanelli, to be replaced by Denzil Davies.
**Nigel Birch retires from the House of Commons, to be created Baron Rhyl.
*Dr Phil Williams becomes the first Chairman of Plaid Cymru.

Arts and literature

*Richard Burton appears in the stage version of "Equus".
*Robert Plant and Jimmy Page retreat to Bron-Yr-Aur to write songs for "Led Zeppelin III".

Awards

*Bernice Rubens wins the Booker Prize for "The Elected Member".

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ammanford)

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Tomi Evans
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Bryan Martin Davies
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - "withheld"

New books

*Marion Eames - "Y Stafell Ddirgel"
*Ron Berry - "So Long, Hector Bebb"
*Tom Earley - "The Sad Mountain"
*T. Wilson Evans - "Iwan Tudur"
*Menna Gallie - "You're Welcome to Ulster!"
*J. Gwyn Griffiths - "Cerddi Cairo"
*John Robert Jones - "Ac Onide"
*Sally Roberts Jones - "Turning Away"
*John Ormond - "Requiem and Celebration"
*Harri Webb - "The Green Desert"
*Gwynne Williams - "Rhwng Gewyn ac Asgwrn"

Music

*Badfinger - "No Dice" (featuring the original recording of "Without You")
*John Cale - "Vintage Violence" (album}
*Meic Stevens - "Outlander"

Film

*Stanley Baker stars in "The Games".
*Hugh Griffith appears in "Start the Revolution Without Me".

Welsh-language films

*"None"

Broadcasting

*Coverage of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod is the first colour programme to be made by BBC Wales.

Welsh-language television

*"Fo a Fe" makes a star of Ryan Davies.

English-language television

*

port

*BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - David Broome
*Boxing - Eddie Avoth wins the Commonwealth lightweight title.
*Snooker - Ray Reardon wins the World Professional Championship for the first time.
*Show Jumping - David Broome wins the individual Show Jumping World Championship.

Births

*19 May - Stuart Cable, rock musician and television presenter
*25 May - Robert Croft, cricketer
*22 June - Paul Davies, snooker player
*18 July - Gruff Rhys, musician
*27 July - David Davies, politician
*30 July - Alun Cairns, politician
*9 August - Lee Jones, football goalkeeper
*14 November - Derwyn Jones, rugby union player
*27 November - Stephen Evans, actor and comedy writer
*29 December - Aled Jones, singer and radio presenter
*"date unknown"
**Rebecca John, BBC reporter
**Lucy Owen, TV presenter
**Gary Pritchard, sports reporter

Deaths

*4 January - D. J. Williams, author and Plaid Cymru politician
*26 January - Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan), poet
*2 February - Bertrand Russell, philosopher
*7 May - Jack Jones, novelist
*3 June - John Robert Jones, philosophy professor
*9 June - Billy Spiller, cricketer and rugby player
*10 July - Isaac Griffiths, politician in Canada
*7 November - Naunton Wayne, actor
*9 November - Huw T. Edwards, trade union leader and politician
*"date unknown"
**Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the Urdd
**Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, academic
**John Edward Jones, Plaid Cymru leader
**Alwyn Lloyd, architect
**Trefor Morgan, financier