# 1984 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1984 to Wales and its people.

## 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.

### 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