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)
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1974 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Prince of Wales – Charles
- Princess of Wales – vacant
- Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Thomas (until 5 March);[1] John Morris
- Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Brinli[2]
Events
- 23 January – A UFO appears to crash in a remote area of North Wales. This becomes known as the Berwyn Mountain Incident.[3]
- 28 February – In the first United Kingdom general election of 1974, Geraint Howells wins Ceredigion for the Liberals,[4] while Gwynfor Evans fails to retain Carmarthen for Plaid Cymru by three votes.
- 5 March – Elwyn Jones is appointed Lord Chancellor in Harold Wilson’s government.[5]
- 1 April – The Local Government Act 1972 comes into effect, reorganising local government areas and incorporating the area of Monmouthshire as part of Wales.[6]
- 10 October – In the second United Kingdom general election of 1974, Gwynfor Evans regains his seat at Carmarthen.
- 22 November – Helen Morgan becomes Miss World; she is forced to resign after four days when it is discovered that she is an unmarried mother.[7]
- Tredegar House is bought by Newport Council.
- Laura Ashley opens stores in Paris and San Francisco.[8]
Arts and literature
- Kyffin Williams is elected to the Royal Academy.
- Andrew Vicari is appointed official painter to the Saudi royal family.
- The Cory Brass Band is the first Welsh band to win the British National Championship.
- The BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra achieves full symphony status.
- Foundation of the Welsh Jazz Society.
- Journalist Hugh Cudlipp is created Baron Cudlipp of Aldingbourne.
- Glyn Daniel becomes Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Carmarthen)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Moses Glyn Jones
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - William George
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Dafydd Ifans
New books
English language
- Tony Conran - Spirit Level
- Gwynfor Evans - Land of my Fathers
- Jan Morris - Conundrum
- Leslie Norris - Mountains, Polecats, Pheasants
- John Ormond - Definition of a Waterfall
- Goronwy Rees - Brief Encounters
- Alun Richards - Dai Country
- Harri Webb - A Crown for Branwen
Welsh language
- Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Marwydos[9]
- David Jenkins - T. Gwynn Jones: Cofiant
- Bobi Jones - Tafod y Llenor[10]
Music
- Andy Fairweather-Low - Spider Jiving (album)[11]
- Alun Hoddinott - The Beach of Falesá (opera)
- Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge (album)
Film
- Richard Burton stars in The Klansman.
Welsh-language films
- None
Broadcasting
- 30 September - Independent radio station Swansea Sound comes into operation.
Welsh-language television
- 8 October - Pobol y Cwm appears for the first time.
English-language television
- Richard Burton is banned from BBC productions after complaints about his derogatory comments about Winston Churchill and others in power during World War II.
- Windsor Davies makes his first appearance as Sergeant Major Williams in It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Sport
- Curling – The Welsh Curling Association is formed.
- Golf – Brian Huggett wins the Portuguese Open.
- Snooker – Ray Reardon wins his third World Championship title.[12]
- Gareth Edwards wins BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.
Births
- 5 January – Iwan Thomas, athlete[13]
- 30 January – Christian Bale, actor
- 3 May – Barry Jones, boxer
- 11 May – Darren Ward, footballer
- 29 May – Jenny Willott, politician[14]
- 3 June – Kelly Jones, rock singer-songwriter-guitarist
- 25 June – David Park, golfer
- 11 August – Dafydd Trystan Davies, chair of Plaid Cymru
- 1 September – Tony Bird, footballer
- 3 September – Rob Page, footballer
- 5 September – Becky Morgan, golfer
- 13 September – Andy Gorman, footballer
- 20 September (in Suva, Fiji) – Owen Sheers, poet and actor
- 17 October – Beverley Jones, athlete
- 18 October – Robbie Savage, footballer
- 24 October – David Evans, squash player
- 8 November – Matthew Rhys, actor
- 12 November – Jonathan Morgan, politician
- date unknown – Bedwyr Williams, installation and performance artist
Deaths
- 21 January - Sandy Griffiths, football referee, 65
- 11 February - D. Jacob Davies, Unitarian minister, broadcaster, writer and journalist, 57[15]
- 12 February - Alec Harris, spiritualist medium, 76
- 3 April – Desmond Donnelly, politician, 53 (suicide)[16]
- 5 April - Cecil Spiller, cricketer, 73
- 14 April - Sir Archibald Lush, schools inspector, 74[17]
- 13 May – Islwyn Evans, Wales international rugby player, 75[18]
- June – David Davies, actor, 68
- 29 August (in Oxford) – Harold Arthur Harris, academic, 71
- 9 September – Neil McBride, MP for Swansea East, 64[19]
- 28 October (in Harrow) – David Jones, poet and artist, 78
- November – Bessie Jones singer, 87
- 14 November - Gomer Hughes, rugby player, 64
- 24 November - Ivor Jones, footballer, 75
- 29 December – William Charles Fuller, Victoria Cross recipient, 80[20]
See also
References
- ^ Chris Cook; John Stevenson (10 July 2014). Longman Handbook to Modern British History 1714 - 2001. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-317-87524-6.
- ^ Meic Stephens (April 1986). The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. Oxford University Press. p. 523.
- ^ Charles Fort (1972). The Info Journal. International Fortean Organization. p. 6.
- ^ Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (2005). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) House of Commons official report. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 775.
- ^ Alan O'Day (11 June 2014). Longman Handbook of Modern Irish History Since 1800. Routledge. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-317-89711-8.
- ^ Great Britain; Charles Arnold-Baker (1973). The Local Government Act 1972. Butterworths. p. 225.
- ^ Phyllis Chesler; Emily Jane Goodman (1976). Women, money & power. Bantam Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-553-02978-9.
- ^ Claudia Piras; Bernhard Roetzel (31 December 2000). British Tradition and Interior Design: Town and Country Living in the British Isles. Cologne. p. 157. ISBN 978-3-8290-4851-4.
- ^ John T. Koch (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 673. ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0.
- ^ Charles William Sullivan (1996). The Mabinogi: A Book of Essays. Psychology Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-8153-1482-0.
- ^ Dave Marsh; John Swenson (12 October 1983). The new Rolling stone record guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-394-72107-1.
- ^ "Profile: Ray Reardon". Eurosport. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "Iwan Thomas Profile". IAAF. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited. 2010. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-905702-89-6.
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, Incorporated (1 January 1975). Britannica Book of the Year. Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 597. ISBN 978-0-85229-303-4.
- ^ Town and Country Planning. The Association. 1974.
- ^ Who was who. A. & C. Black. 1971.
- ^ Swansea RFC player profiles
- ^ John Graham Jones. "McBride, Neil (1910-1974), Labour politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- ^ David Harvey (1999). Monuments to courage: Victoria Cross headstones and memorials. Kevin and Kay Patience.