1953 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1953 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
 * Cynan (outgoing)
 * Dyfnallt (incoming)

Events

 * 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 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.

Arts and literature

 * July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.
 * 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.
 * 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

 * Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld

English language

 * Jack Jones – Time and the Business
 * Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories

Welsh language

 * Islwyn Ffowc Elis
 * Cysgod y Cryman
 * Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll
 * David John Williams – Hen dŷ ffarm

Music

 * 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.

Film

 * 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

 * 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.
 * 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.

Welsh-language television

 * 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.

English-language television

 * The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.

Sport

 * Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.
 * Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Births

 * 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans
 * 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
 * 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge
 * 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
 * Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
 * Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–

Deaths

 * 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92
 * 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
 * 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48
 * 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90
 * 2 May – Thomas Mardy Rees, author, 81/82
 * 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74
 * 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75
 * 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
 * 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77
 * 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39
 * 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83
 * 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83
 * 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77
 * 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71