1948 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1948 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archbishop of Wales – David Prosser, Bishop of St David's
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Wil Ifan

Events

 * 21 May – Hugh Dalton is appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
 * 24 June – Thomas Williams is created 1st Baron Williams of Ynyshir.
 * 1 July – The National Museum of Wales opens the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagans to the public, the first open-air museum in the UK (director: Iorwerth Peate).
 * 19 October – Opening of the Hoover washing machine factory at Merthyr Tydfil.
 * December – Plas Machynlleth given to the people of the town.
 * Aneurin Bevan is instrumental in the passing of the Local Government Act and National Assistance Act.
 * Ness Edwards joins the Privy Council.
 * Creation of the Welsh Joint Education Committee.
 * Beginning of nylon manufacture at Pontypool.
 * Jim Griffiths becomes Chairman of the Labour Party.
 * The Council for Wales and Monmouthshire is established as an advisory body.
 * A residential Welsh-medium preparatory school for boys is founded at Llanilar in Cardiganshire.
 * Elsie Joan Lewis is appointed as the first policewoman in Wales in modern times, in Glamorgan.
 * Physicist Rhisiart Morgan Davies publishes the results of his work on stress waves.

Arts and literature

 * Kingsley Amis becomes a lecturer at the University of Wales, Swansea.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bridgend)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – D. Emrys James,
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Euros Bowen, "O'r Dwyrain"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Robert Ivor Parry

English language

 * Sir Alfred Thomas Davies – The Lloyd George I Knew
 * Jack Jones – Some Trust in Chariots

Welsh language

 * Ambrose Bebb – Gadael tir
 * Aneirin Talfan Davies – Eliot, Pwshcin, Poe
 * William Eames & Megan Ellis – Melin y Ddôl
 * Griffith Wynne Griffith – Ffynnon Bethlehem
 * Robert David Griffith – Hanes Canu Cynulleidfaol Cymru
 * Isaac Daniel Hooson – Y Gwin a Cherddi Eraill
 * David James Jones (Gwenallt) – Bywyd a Gwaith Islwyn
 * Griffith John Williams – Traddodiad Llenyddol Morgannwg

New drama

 * Saunders Lewis – Blodeuwedd

Music

 * Arwel Hughes – String Quartet No. 1
 * David Wynne – Sonata for violin and piano

Film

 * Glynis Johns stars in Miranda.
 * Hugh Griffith appears in London Belongs to Me
 * Wandering Through Wales

Broadcasting

 * 1 March – Welsh Rarebit, previously broadcast during the Second World War, begins its run on the BBC Light Programme.

Sport

 * Athletics – Tom Richards finishes second in the marathon at the London Olympics, becoming the first Welshman to win an individual athletics medal at the Olympics.
 * Equestrianism
 * Harry Llewellyn is part of the team winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London.
 * The only Welsh Grand National to be run at Caerleon is won by Bora's Cottage.
 * Rugby Union
 * 21 February – France beats Wales 3–11 at the St Helen's Ground in Swansea.

Births

 * 11 January – Terry Williams, rock drummer
 * 22 January – Roger Williams, politician
 * 1 March – Karl Johnson, actor
 * 4 March – Shakin' Stevens, singer
 * 1 April
 * Dai Davies, footballer (d. 2021)
 * Peter Law, politician (d. 2006)
 * J. J. Williams, Wales international rugby union player (died 2020)
 * 2 April – Tommy David, Wales international rugby union and league player
 * 14 May – Albert Alan Owen, composer
 * 18 May – Keith Jarrett, rugby player
 * 26 May (in London) – Jenny Randerson, politician
 * 4 June (in Glasgow) – Jeff Cuthbert, politician
 * 14 June – Ffred Ffransis, political activist
 * 16 June – Elan Closs Stephens, educator and broadcasting executive
 * 2 August – Andy Fairweather-Low, musician
 * 9 August – Jackie Lawrence, politician
 * 12 September (in Jamaica) – Neville Meade, heavyweight boxer (in Jamaica; died 2010)
 * 24 October – Phil Bennett, rugby player (died 2022)
 * 14 November (in London) – Charles III (Prince of Wales, 1958–2022)
 * 25 November – Paul Murphy, politician
 * 26 December – Steve Curtis, boxer (d. 1994)
 * 28 December – Terry Morgan, civil engineer
 * date unknown
 * Alan Llwyd, poet
 * Manon Rhys, writer
 * Howard Thomas, plant scientist (died 2022)
 * Randolph Thomas, Anglican clergyman

Deaths

 * 12 January – Wilfred Bailey, 3rd Baron Glanusk, 56
 * 19 January – Frederick Phillips, hockey player, 63
 * 11 February – Evan Davies, politician in Australia, 58
 * 21 February – Tom Pook, Wales international rugby union player, 78
 * 8 March – Charlie Thomas, Wales international rugby player
 * 9 April – John Daniel Davies, 74
 * 25 April – Arthur Boucher, Wales international rugby union player, 77
 * 30 April – David Daniel, Wales international rugby union player, 77
 * 17 May – David Evans, organist and composer, 74
 * 22 May – David Delta Evans (Dewi Hiraddug), journalist, author, and Unitarian minister, 82
 * 9 June – Len Trump, Wales international rugby player, 61
 * 18 July – John Tywi Jones, Baptist minister and journalist, 78
 * 31 July – Herbert Millingchamp Vaughan, historian, 78
 * 20 August – David John de Lloyd, composer, 65
 * 28 August – Charles Evans Hughes, American politician of Welsh descent, 86
 * 4 October – Arthur Whitten Brown, British aviator, in Swansea, 62
 * 18 October – Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet, 68
 * 17 November – B. B. Mann, Wales international rugby union player, 90