This article is about the particular significance of the year 1979 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Wales – John Morris (until 5 May); Nicholas Edwards Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Geraint
Events 1 March - The devolution referendum rejects the Wales Act 1978 (which would have established a Welsh Assembly) by four to one. The Parliamentary Select Committee on Welsh Affairs is subsequently established. 18 May - Annie Powell of Rhondda becomes Britain's first Communist mayor. 7 June - In the elections for the European Parliament, Ann Clwyd and Win Griffiths are among the newly elected MEPs. Plaid Cymru win 11.7% of the vote in Wales but win no seats.European Integration and the Nationalities Question. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2006. 8 June - A Cessna aircraft crashes into a mountain in Snowdonia, killing all six occupants. 14 August - A rainbow which stretches from the Gwynedd coast to Clwyd persists for over 3 hours, a world record which stands for more than 15 years. 12 December - Four holiday homes in rural Wales are the target of arson attacks by Welsh Nationalist political activists.
Arts and literature Awards Michael Bogdanov is named "Director of the Year" for the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Taming of the Shrew. National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Caernarfon) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Meirion Evans National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Robyn Lewis
New books English language Gillian Clarke - The Sundial Wendy Davies - The Llandaff Charters Christopher Evans - The Mighty Micro Emyr Humphreys - The Best of Friends Sian James - A Small Country. Tristan Jones - The Incredible Voyage Anna Kashfi - Brando for Breakfast Leslie Norris - Sliding Gwyn Alf Williams - The Merthyr Rising Raymond Williams - The Fight for Manod
Welsh language Pennar Davies - Mabinogi Mwys Marion Eames - I Hela Cnau Dic Jones - Storom Awst John Rowlands - Tician, Tician
Music Dave Edmunds - Repeat When Necessary (album) Bonnie Tyler - Diamond Cut (album)
Film Rachel Roberts wins the BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Yanks. Emlyn Williams' play, The Corn is Green, is filmed for the second time, starring Katharine Hepburn. A full-scale model of the fictional starship Millennium Falcon is constructed by Marcon Fabrications in the Western Sunderland Flying Boat hangar at Pembroke Dock for the film The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
Broadcasting BBC Radio Cymru is launched. New Home Secretary William Whitelaw rejects the idea of a Welsh fourth channel on behalf of the Conservative government.
English-language television Colin Jeavons stars in Dennis Potter's classic play, Blue Remembered Hills.
Sport BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Terry Griffiths Boxing - Pat Thomas wins the British Light-middleweight title Rugby union - Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown. Snooker - Terry Griffiths wins the World Championship in his first year as a professional.
Births January – Emma Wools, Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales 4 February – Mike Williams, journalist 15 February – Josh Low, footballer 21 February – Laura Anne Jones MS, politician 26 February – Steve Evans, footballer 15 April - Luke Evans, actor 17 May – Michaela Breeze, weightlifting champion 3 June – Christian Malcolm, athlete 20 June – Gareth Bowen, rugby union player 12 July – Danny Williams, footballer 13 July – Craig Bellamy, footballer 1 August - Honeysuckle Weeks, actress 8 August – Danny Gabbidon, footballer 12 September – Chris Hughes, football manager 18 September – Rhys Thomas, TV director and producer 16 October – Jonathan Edwards, poet unknown date – Mark Bowden, composer
Deaths January – Dilys Cadwaladr, poet, 76 7 February – Charles Tunnicliffe, painter on Anglesey, 77 13 February – Eric Newton Griffith-Jones, Welsh-descended lawyer, 65Graya: A Magazine for Members of Gray's Inn, Issue 73, Gray's Inn, 1979 13 March – Tudor Owen, actor, 81 15 April (in Surrey) – Eiluned Lewis, novelist, 78 14 May – Jean Rhys, novelist, 88 9 June – John Morris, Baron Morris of Borth-y-Gest, judge, 82 16 July – Harold Finch, politician, 81 30 August – C. E. Wynn-Williams, physicist, 76 2 September – Ewan Davies, rugby player, 92scrum.com profile 10 October (in Teddington) – Christopher Evans, computer scientist, 48 12 October – Jackie Williams, footballer, 76 November – Ursula Williams, politician, 83"Deaths." Times [London, England] 5 Dec. 1979: 28. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. 12 December – Goronwy Rees, writer, 70? 20 December – Leslie Gilbert Illingworth, political cartoonist, 77 21 December – Nansi Richards, harpist, 91 29 December – Richard Tecwyn Williams, biochemist, 70 date unknown Hugh Bevan, academic Dilys Davies, actress Trebor Lloyd Evans, writer Jennie Thomas, children's author probable – William Evans, rugby player, about 88
See also 1979 in Northern Ireland
References