This article is about the particular significance of the year 1953 to Wales and its people.
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| See also: | List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history
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Incumbents edit
Events edit
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- 7 March – A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held by the London Welsh Association in the streets of London.
- 11 March – The Royal Badge of Wales is granted an augmentation of honour including the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ("The red dragon inspires action").[1]
- 1 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.[2]
- 9 July – Elizabeth II makes her first visit to Wales since her 2 June Coronation.
- 10 July – The royal tour of Wales concludes with a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle and visits to the National Eisteddfod site at Rhyl, Wrexham and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.[3]
- 2 December – Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
- date unknown
- The Royal College of General Practitioners is established in Wales.
- Goronwy Rees becomes Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.[4]
- Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.[5]
Arts and literature edit
- July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.[6]
- date unknown
- Thomas Parry (later Sir Thomas) becomes head of the National Library of Wales.
- Waldo Williams leaves the Baptist denomination and becomes a Quaker.[7]
- Robert Frank photographs a Glamorgan mining village for U.S.Camera.
- Susan Williams-Ellis joins her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in his work on the village of Portmeirion.
Awards edit
- Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.[8]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"[9]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"[10]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld[11]
New books edit
English language edit
- Jack Jones – Time and the Business[12]
- Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories
Welsh language edit
- Islwyn Ffowc Elis
- David John Williams – Hen dŷ ffarm[15]
Music edit
- 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.
Film edit
- Rachel Thomas and Clifford Evans co-star in Valley of Song.
- Richard Burton stars in The Robe.
- Rachel Roberts stars in The Limping Man.
Broadcasting edit
- 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.[16]
- January – Edward Williamson, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, broadcasts a lecture on Henry Vaughan on BBC radio.
- 9 December – In the UK Parliament, the Postmaster General, Earl De La Warr, confirms that none of the first independent television stations will be located in Wales.[17]
Welsh-language television edit
- 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.
English-language television edit
- The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.[18]
Sport edit
- Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.[19]
- Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.
Births edit
- 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans[20]
- 15 March - Alan Couch, footballer
- 11 April – Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
- 12 April – Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991–1992 and 1997–2005
- 26 April – Andy Secombe, voice actor and fantasy novelist
- 8 June – Bonnie Tyler, singer[21]
- 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge[22]
- 11 July – Nigel Rees, footballer
- 20 July – Dave Evans, singer
- 10 August – Gillian Elisa, actress, singer and comedian
- 2 September – Keith Allen, comedian and actor
- 28 October – Phil Dwyer, footballer
- 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, actor, comedian and television presenter[23]
- Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
- Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–
Deaths edit
- 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92[24]
- 7 March – Jack Williams, Victoria Cross recipient, 66
- 20 March – Fred Parfitt, Wales international rugby player, 83
- 24 March – Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales 1910–1936, queen consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952, 85[25]
- 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48[26]
- 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90[27]
- 2 May – Thomas Mardy Rees, author, 81/82[28]
- 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74[29]
- 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75[30]
- 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
- 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77[31]
- 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39[32]
- 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83[33]
- 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83[34]
- 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77[35]
- 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Carr, H. Gresham (1961). Flags of the World. London: Warne. p. 66.
- ^ The London Gazette. H.M. Stationery Office. 1953. p. 2978.
- ^ "The Queen At Eisteddfod: Visit To Wales Concluded, Caernarvon Castle Ceremony". The Times. No. 52671. London. 1953-07-11. p. 6.
- ^ Goronwy Rees (2001). Goronwy Rees: Sketches in Autobiography. University of Wales Press. p. xvi. ISBN 978-0-7083-1676-4.
- ^ The London Gazette. H.M. Stationery Office. 1953. p. 3677.
- ^ Everett Aaker (16 May 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 308. ISBN 978-1-4766-2856-1.
- ^ James Nicholas (1975). Waldo Williams. University of Wales Press; the Welsh Arts Council. p. 65. ISBN 9780708305850.
- ^ Wilson library bulletin. 1952. p. 60.
- ^ "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Keri Edwards; Welsh Arts Council (1974). Jack Jones. University of Wales Press [for] the Welsh Arts Council. p. 64. ISBN 9780708305522.
- ^ Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium. Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University. 1998. p. 439. ISBN 9780674023840.
- ^ Bwletin Y Bwrdd Gwybodau Celtaidd. University of Wales Press. 1987. p. 56.
- ^ Eurwyn Wiliam (1986). The Historical Farm Buildings of Wales. John Donald Publishers. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-85976-136-9.
- ^ British Broadcasting Corporation (1954). Annual Report and Accounts.
- ^ Jamie Medhurst (1 June 2010). A History of Independent Television in Wales. University of Wales Press. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-7083-2308-3.
- ^ Radio Times. G. Newnes. 1953. p. 24.
- ^ The British Archer. 1957. p. 241.
- ^ "John, Very Rev. Jeffrey Philip Hywel". UK Who's Who. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Fred Bronson (1985). The Billboard book of number one hits. Billboard Publications. p. 1980. ISBN 978-0-8230-7522-5.
- ^ 'REES, Eleri Mair', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 11 Oct 2017
- ^ David Housham; John Frank-Keyes; Tiger Television (30 November 1992). Funny business. Boxtree. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-85283-792-1.
- ^ National Library of Wales (1951). Annual Report Presented by the Council to the Court of Governors. National Library of Wales. p. 12.
- ^ "1953: Queen Mary dies peacefully after illness", BBC News, retrieved 29 May 2018
- ^ Idris Davies; Dafydd Johnston (1994). The complete poems of Idris Davies. University of Wales Press. p. xxix. ISBN 978-0-7083-1272-8.
- ^ Royal Society of Health (Great Britain) (1953). Journal: Supplement to V. ... p. 466.
- ^ Evan David Jones. "Rees, Thomas Mardy (1871-1953), Independent minister, historian and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Ray Desmond (25 February 1994). Dictionary Of British And Irish Botanists And Horticulturists Including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers. CRC Press. p. 456. ISBN 978-0-85066-843-8.
- ^ David Jenkins. "Jones, Elizabeth Mary ('Moelona'; 1877-1953), teacher and novelist". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Morrell, Caroline. "Rachel Barrett". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63825. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Dylan Thomas: Death of a Poet". BBC Wales. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ Robert Geraint Gruffydd. "Davies, John Glyn (1870-1953), scholar, songwriter and poet". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Moore, Jerrold Northrop (May 2008). "Atkins, Sir Ivor Algernon (1869–1953)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ J. Lawrence Mitchell (2005). T. F. Powys: aspects of a life. Brynmill Press Ltd. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-907839-86-6.