# 1961 in Wales

This article is about the significance of the year 1961 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin

## Events

* 16 February – The BP Explorer, a loaded tanker barge bound for Sharpness from Swansea, turns over in the Severn Estuary.
* 17 February – The BP Explorer is seen bouncing upside down through the recently wrecked (October 26, 1960) Severn Railway Bridge. Her crew of five men are killed.
* 1 October – Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff, hosts the first-ever broadcast of the long-running national BBC Television series Songs of Praise.
* 8 November – In a referendum on Sunday opening of public houses, the counties of Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Caernarfonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire all vote to stay "dry".
* 9 November – Rosemarie Frankland, originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, wins the Miss World title.
* 19 November – During construction of the Severn Bridge three men fall into the river. A rescue boat crewed by two men sets sail from Chepstow, not knowing that the three men have been picked up safely by a ferry, the Severn Princess. Two empty tanker barges coming down from Sharpness collide with the rescue boat, which has no navigation lights. One member of the rescue boat crew is drowned.
* The Llyn Celyn reservoir is constructed in the valley of the River Tryweryn in North Wales to provide water for Liverpool, destroying the village of Capel Celyn.
* Gwynfor Evans becomes president of the Celtic League.
* Formation in Pontypridd of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith entirely of native Welsh Baháʼís.

## Arts and literature

* Keith Baxter makes his Broadway debut as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons.

### Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales, held in Rhosllanerchrugog:
* Chairing of the Bard – Emrys Edwards
* Crowning of the Bard – L. Haydn Lewis
* Prose Medal – withheld
* Gold Medal: Fine Art – Ceri Richards

### New books
#### English language

* Dannie Abse – The Eccentric
* Richard Hughes – The Fox in the Attic
* Bertrand Russell – Fact and Fiction
* Emlyn Williams – George
* Raymond Williams – The Long Revolution

#### Welsh language

* Pennar Davies – Yr Efrydd o Lyn Cynon
* Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Tabyrddau'r Tabongo
* W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) – Ffenestri
* Caradog Prichard – Un Nos Ola Leuad

### Music

* Alun Hoddinott – Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion

## Film

* Ronald Lewis stars in Scream of Fear and Stop Me Before I Kill.
* Victor Spinetti makes his screen debut in The Gentle Terror.
* Clifford Evans stars in The Curse of the Werewolf.
* Pirates of Tortuga, American adventure based on the Welsh privateer, Henry Morgan

## Broadcasting
### Welsh-language television

* Ambell i Gan
* Pwt o'r Papur
* Gair o Gyngor

### English-language television

* 7 April – The Independent Television Authority (ITA) invites bids for its west and north Wales licence. On 6 June, the franchise is awarded to the Wales Television Association.
* 20 June – The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, Reginald Bevins, informs the Wales Television Association that approval has been given for an ITA transmitter in the Flint-Denbigh area.

## Sport

* Boxing – Howard Winstone wins the British featherweight title.
* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Bryn Meredith

## Births

* 24 January – Tarki Micallef, professional footballer
* 7 May – Phil Campbell, rock guitarist
* 5 July – Gareth Jones ("Gaz Top"), television presenter
* 7 July – Steve Brace, long-distance runner
* 8 August – Simon Weston, war hero
* 18 August – Huw Edwards, newsreader
* 30 August
** Denise Gyngell, pop singer and actress
** Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, charity worker and Labour peer
* 29 September – Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (in Barry)
* 20 October – Ian Rush, footballer
* 1 November – Nicky Grist, racing driver
* date unknown
** Ifor ap Glyn, Welsh-language poet and television presenter
** Twm Morys, poet

## Deaths

* 14 January – William Bowen, Army officer, 62
* 18 January – William Jones, poet, 64
* 2 February – Kate Williams Evans, suffragette, 84
* 10 February
** Tom Beynon, Presbyterian minister and historian, 74
** Llewelyn Davies, footballer, 80
* 18 April – John Evans, Labour politician, 85
* 8 May – Wyndham Edwards, gymnast, 68
* 28 June – Huw Menai, poet, 74
* 3 July – Albert Jenkin, Wales international rugby player, 88
* 14 August – Alec James, cricketer, 72
* 31 October – Augustus John, painter, 83
* 20 November – Edwin Thomas Maynard, Wales international rugby player, 83
* 4 December – John Pugh, Archdeacon of Carmarthen, 76