1984 in Wales

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards
• Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Jâms Nicholas (outgoing)
  • Elerydd (incoming)

Events

• 2 March – Carmarthen MP Dr Roger Thomas announces his resignation, having been prosecuted for importuning.
• 12 March – The miners' strike begins, with a solid turn out from all NUM mines in Wales.
• 31 March - The Guildford Crescent Baths close in Cardiff after 122 years, despite a campaign to keep them open.
• 3 May – At the Cynon Valley by-election brought about by the death of MP Ioan Lyonel Evans, Ann Clwyd retains the seat for Labour with an increased majority.
• 19 July – The Lleyn Peninsula earthquake, which strikes the Llŷn Peninsula at 06:56 UTC (07:56 BST), measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, is the largest known onshore earthquake to occur in the UK since instrumental measurements began.
• 4 October – Dafydd Wigley resigns as leader of Plaid Cymru for domestic reasons.
• 30 November – Taxi driver David Wilkie is killed when a concrete block is dropped onto his car as he drives a strikebreaker to work on the M4 motorway. Dean Hancock and Russell Shankland of Rhymney are later convicted of murder.
• 3 December – First McDonald's hamburger fast food restaurant in Wales opens in Cardiff.
• date unknown
  • Sam Edwards becomes Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge.
  • Clive Sinclair's C5 electric vehicle is manufactured at the Hoover works in Merthyr Tydfil.
  • Border Breweries (Wrexham) ceases to brew in Wales.
  • Creation of Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments Executive Agency.

Arts and literature

Awards

• Griff Rhys Jones wins the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Comedy Performance for his role in Charley's Aunt.
• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Lampeter)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Aled Rhys Wiliam
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – John Roderick Rees
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – John Idris Owen
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Richard Cyril Hughes, Castell Cyfaddawd

New books

English language

• Duncan Bush – Aquarium
• Hywel Francis – Miners Against Fascism: Wales and the Spanish Civil War
• Sian James – Dragons and Roses
• Mike Jenkins – Empire of Smoke
• Robert Minhinnick – Life Sentences
• Leslie Thomas – In My Wildest Dreams

Welsh language

• Gwynn ap Gwilym – Gwales
• Geraint H. Jenkins – Hanes Cymru yn y Cyfnod Modern Cynnar: 1530–1760
• Alun Jones – Oed Rhyw Addewid
• Gerwyn Williams – Colli cyswllt

Music

• Ar Log IV
• The Alarm – Declaration (debut studio album)
• Icons of Filth – Onward Christian Soldiers
• Shakin' Stevens records "Teardrops" with Hank Marvin on guitar.
• Phil Campbell joins Motörhead.
• First Brecon Jazz Festival staged.

Film

• Ray Milland makes his last film appearance in The Sea Serpent.
• Sian Phillips stars in Dune.
• Kevin Allen makes his big screen debut in The Man Who Shot Christmas.

Welsh-language films

• None

Broadcasting

• Gareth Gwenlan becomes Head of Comedy at the BBC.

Welsh-language television

English-language television

• The District Nurse starring Nerys Hughes

Sport

• Football – Ian Rush becomes the first Welshman to win the European Golden Boot award.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ian Rush
• Horse racing – Neil Doughty wins the Grand National on Hallo Dandy.

Births

• 27 February – Rhys Williams, athlete
• 9 March – Owain Wyn Evans, broadcast presenter
• 11 March – Tom James, Olympic gold medal-winning rower
• 22 June – Arron Davies, footballer
• 23 June – Duffy, singer
• 31 July – Craig Stiens, footballer
• 14 August – Rob Davies, table tennis player
• 15 September – Prince Harry, son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana)
• 20 September – Byron Anthony, footballer
• 15 October – Owain Tudur Jones, footballer
• 24 November – Matthew Mason, cricketer
• date unknown – Gwawr Edwards, soprano

Deaths

• 4 January – Enoch Jenkins, sports shooter, 91
• 11 January – Gwyn Thomas, rugby player, 91
• 14 January – Ivan Lloyd-Phillips, colonial administrator, 73
• 26 January – Nathan Rocyn-Jones, doctor, international rugby player and President of the WRU, 81
• 10 February – Ioan Evans, politician, 56
• 11 April – John Lloyd Thomas, clergyman and teacher, 76
• 15 April – Tommy Cooper, comedian, 63 (heart attack on stage)
• 21 April – Wilf Hughes, cricketer, 73
• 8 May – David Williams, geologist, 85
• 20 May – Meredith Thomas, flying ace, 91
• 13 June – David Evans, microbiologist, 74
• 18 June – Idris Foster, academic, 72
• 22 June – Dill Jones, jazz pianist, 60
• 29 June – Seiriol Evans, clergyman and writer, 89
• 6 July – Denys Val Baker, British writer and promoter of Celtic culture, 66
• 30 July – Peter Jones, surgeon, 67
• 5 August – Richard Burton, actor, 58 (brain haemorrhage)
• 17 August – Mostyn Thomas, operatic baritone, 88
• 27 August – Amabel Williams-Ellis, writer, 90
• 9 September – Margaret Phillips, actress, 61
• 23 September – Daniel Granville West, politician, 80
• 12 October – Sir Anthony Berry, politician and son of Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, 59 (killed in Brighton hotel bombing)
• 26 October – Seaborne Davies, lawyer and politician, 80
• 18 November – Thomas Jones, Baron Maelor, politician, 86
• 11 December (in Hendon) – Will Paynter, miners' leader, 81
• date unknown – Arthur Fear, operatic bass-baritone

References

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