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 MV 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

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

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 – 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
 * 18 April – John Evans, Labour politician, 85
 * 30 April – Charles Williams, academic, 55
 * 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
 * date unknown – Llewelyn Davies, footballer, 79/80