This article is about the particular significance of the year 1940 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents Archbishop of Wales – Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys
Events 21 January - Lowest ever temperature recorded in Wales, −23.3 °C (−9.9 °F) at Rhayader. 27 January - A freak ice storm across the UK brings down telephone and electricity lines in many parts of Wales. 3 March - The steamer Cato is damaged by a mine off Nash Point and 13 of the crew are killed. March - The scenic railway opens at Barry Island Pleasure Park. May The newly created Coalition Government includes Hugh Dalton as Minister of Economic Warfare. Alun Lewis enlists. 8 May - Three Nazi German Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111s crash in separate incidents over Wales: one near Wrexham, one at Malpas in Denbighshire, and one at Bagillt, Flint. In all nine crew are killed and four captured. 3 July - Cardiff is bombed for the first time. 9 July - Cardiff suffers its first bombing fatalities. 10 July - Ten people are killed in an air raid on Swansea Docks, as shipping convoys become a target. 11 July - Communist minister and poet Thomas Evan Nicholas ("Niclas y Glais") and his son are arrested and interned for "endeavouring to impede recruitment to HM Forces". Nicholas is eventually released on 20 October. 11 August - Seventeen people are killed in an air raid on Manselton, Swansea. 14 August - Three German Heinkel 111s are shot down during an air-raid on Cardiff, and another over North Wales after a raid on RAF Hawarden. 22 August - A steamer, the Thorold, is sunk by German aircraft off the Skerries. Ten crew are killed. 2 September - 33 people are killed in an air raid on Swansea. 3 September - Eleven people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff. 4 September - A German Junkers Ju 88 crashes near Machynlleth. Four crew and a Gestapo officer are captured. 13 September - A German Heinkel 111 crashes into a house in Newport, Monmouthshire. 22 November - The steamer Pikepool is damaged by a mine off Linney Head, Pembrokeshire, with the loss of 17 crew. The Urdd changes its policy to include 16- to 25-year-olds. Gwilym Williams becomes chaplain of St David's College, Lampeter. Percy Cudlipp becomes editor of the Daily Herald. Alun Talfan Davies and his brother Aneirin found the publishing house Llyfrau'r Dryw.
Arts and literature Lewis Casson directs John Gielgud in King Lear.
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bangor (radio)) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. Rowland Hughes National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books Richard Bennett - Cyfrol Goffa Richard Bennett Clara Novello Davies - The Life I Have Loved David Delta Edwards - Rhedeg ar ôl y Cysgodion John Cowper Powys - Owen Glendower (U.S. publication) Howard Spring - Fame is the Spur Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (published 2011; partially set in Wales, 1940)
Music Mai Jones & Lyn Joshua - "We'll Keep a Welcome" (performed for the first time in the forces' variety show, Welsh Rarebit on 29 February) Grace Williams - Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes (score dated 9 February)
Film March 25 - Plaza Cinema opens in Port Talbot. April 6 - Paul Robeson and Rachel Thomas star in The Proud Valley (cinematic release)
Broadcasting 25 February - The Proud Valley is the first film to have its première on radio, when the BBC broadcasts a 60-minute version. May - The BBC Radio Variety Department relocates to Bangor because of wartime disruption; it will broadcast from here until August 1943. August - The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on the British Home Service, including 15 minutes each for the crown and chair ceremonies.
Sport Football 13 April - Wales defeat England 1 - 0. Quoits - Jack Price wins the Welsh championship for the third time.
Births 4 January - Brian Josephson, theoretical physicist 17 January - Leighton Rees, darts champion (died 2003) 23 January - Ted Rowlands, politician 1 March - David Broome, show jumping champion 16 May - Sir Gareth Roberts, physicist (died 2007) 7 June - Tom Jones, singer 29 June - John Dawes, rugby player (died 2021)John Dawes rugby profile ESPN Scrum.com 17 July - C. W. Nicol, Japanese writer and environmentalist (died 2020 in Japan) 3 September - Eduardo Hughes Galeano, Uruguayan writer of Welsh descent 20 September - Anna Pavord, gardening writerPeople of Today (2017) Debrett's, "Anna Pavord" 1 October - Atarah Ben-Tovim, flautist and children's concert promoter (died 2022) 14 October - Christopher Timothy, actorIn Bala, Gwynedd. 31 October - Eric Griffiths, skiffle guitarist with The Quarrymen (died 2005) 4 November - Daniel Sperber, Talmudic scholar 30 November - Peter Shreeves, footballer, coach and manager 5 December Michael Jones, medieval historian "Exotic" Adrian Street, professional wrestler (died 2023) 24 December - John Marek, politician date unknown Donald Evans, Welsh-language poet Keith Miles, detective novelist and screenwriter
Deaths 12 February - William Edwards, educationist, 89 21 February - Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker, 71 15 March - John Davies, author, 71 20 March - William Thomas Edwards (Gwilym Deudraeth), poet 7 April - Ernest Rowland, priest and Wales international rugby player, 75 27 April - Fred Cornish, Wales international rugby player 23 May - Hugh Hesketh Hughes, polo player, 37 (killed in action) 4 June - Owen Picton Davies, businessman and politician, 68 25 June - Stanley Winmill, Wales international rugby union player, 51 3 July - George Bevan Bowen, landowner, 82‘BOWEN, Sir George Bevan’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 30 Nov 2013Obituaries (Obituaries) The Times Friday, Jul 05, 1940; pg. 7; Issue 48660; col E 8 August - Daniel Lleufer Thomas, lawyer and biographer, 76 20 August - Henry Maldwyn Hughes, Wesleyan minister 26 September - W. H. Davies, poet and author, 69 9 October - Sir Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador 9 November - Gwilym Owen, physicist 15 December Robert Thomas Jones, quarrymen's leader, 66 Sir David Richard Llewellyn, 1st Baronet, industrialist
See also 1940 in Northern Ireland
References