1962 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1962 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

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

Events

 * January–April – An outbreak of smallpox spreading from Cardiff infects 45 people and kills 19 in south Wales; 900,000 people in the region are vaccinated against the disease.
 * 12 April – Nine miners are killed and nine injured in an accident at Tower Colliery, Hirwaun, Wales.
 * 15 May – Emlyn Hooson wins the Montgomeryshire by-election brought about by the death of Clement Davies. In the run-up to the by-election, the "Elvis Rock" is painted with the graffiti "Elis" by supporters of Plaid Cymru candidate Islwyn Ffowc Elis.
 * 20 July – The world's first regular passenger hovercraft service is introduced between Rhyl and Wallasey.
 * 4 August – Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, is founded.
 * September – Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, the first Welsh-medium secondary school in south Wales, opens its doors.
 * 19 September – Atlantic College opens its doors for the first time at St Donat's Castle, marking the birth of the pioneering United World College educational movement.
 * 26 October – Richard Thomas and Baldwins's new steelworks at Llanwern near Newport, is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
 * 28 October – Chepstow Railway Bridge rebuilding completed.
 * date unknown
 * Richard Booth opens his first second-hand bookshop at the old fire station in Hay-on-Wye.
 * Cardiff Zoo opened.

Arts and literature

 * 21 March – Actress Rachel Roberts marries Rex Harrison in Genoa.
 * Welsh National Opera launches a training scheme for singers.
 * Dick Francis publishes his first thriller, Dead Cert.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llanelli)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Caradog Prichard, "Llef un yn Llefain"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – D. Emlyn Lewis, Y Cwmwl
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – William Owen, Bu Farw Ezra Bebb

New books

 * Clifford Dyment – The Railway Game
 * John Roberts Evans – Ar Drothwy'r Nos
 * William Evans (Wil Ifan) – Colofnau Wil Ifan
 * Michael Foot – Aneurin Bevan, vol. 1
 * Menna Gallie – The Small Mine
 * Llewelyn Wyn Griffith – The Adventures of Pryderi
 * The Oxford Book of Welsh Verse
 * Gwyn Thomas – Chwerwder yn y Ffynhonnau
 * Norman Thomas – Ask at the Unicorn
 * Raymond Williams – Communications

Music

 * Dilys Elwyn-Edwards – Caneuon y Tri Aderyn
 * Alun Hoddinott – Folksong Suite
 * William Mathias – Postlude
 * Grace Williams – Four Medieval Welsh Poems for alto, harp and harpsichord
 * David Wynne – Cymric Rhapsodies

Film

 * Richard Burton and Donald Houston appear in The Longest Day.
 * Peter Greenaway makes his first film: Death of Sentiment.
 * Jack Howells makes the short documentary Dylan Thomas featuring Richard Burton.

Welsh-language radio

 * 13 February – Saunders Lewis gives the Welsh Home Service’s Annual Lecture, entitled Tynged yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language).

Television

 * 14 September – The first transmitter, at Preseli, of the Teledu Cymru – Wales (West and North) Television service comes on air.

English-language television

 * 17 September – First edition of the Welsh national news programme BBC Wales Today.

Sport

 * Football – John Charles returns to Leeds United from several years playing for Italian clubs.
 * Golf – Brian Huggett wins the Dutch Open championship.
 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ivor Allchurch

Births

 * 5 January – Geraint Williams, footballer
 * 11 January – Chris Bryant, politician
 * 16 January – Bethan Gwanas, Welsh-language writer
 * 25 May - Martin Goldsmith, footballer
 * 27 June – Michael Ball, singer
 * 22 August – Iolo Williams, naturalist and TV presenter
 * 28 August – David Melding, politician
 * 15 September – Kevin Allen, actor, comedian and film director
 * 22 July – Arthur Emyr, rugby union player and television presenter and executive
 * 22 August – Iolo Williams, naturalist and broadcaster
 * 5 September – Peter Wingfield, actor
 * 15 October – Mark Ring, rugby union player
 * 24 October – Jonathan Davies, rugby union and league player
 * 11 November - Chris Sander, footballer
 * 12 December – John Jones, record producer
 * 31 December – Chris Hallam, wheelchair athlete
 * date unknown
 * Fiona Bennett, composer
 * Sioned Wiliam, broadcaster, writer and producer

Deaths

 * 18 January – Iolo Aneurin Williams, journalist, author and politician, 71
 * 26 January – George Jeffreys, founder of the Elim Pentecostal Church, 72
 * 11 February – John Edward Daniel, theologian, chairman of Plaid Cymru, 59 (road accident)
 * 14 February – Ezer Griffiths, physicist, 73
 * 27 February – Albert Rhys Williams, Welsh-American journalist, labour organiser, and publicist, 78
 * 23 March – Clement Davies, politician, 80
 * April – Edgar Morgan, rugby union player, 80
 * 25 April – Herbie Baxter, Glamorgan cricketer, 79
 * 30 April – Charles Williams, Anglican priest and academic, 55
 * 11 May – Eliot Crawshay-Williams, politician and author, 82
 * 16 June – Edgar Rees Jones, barrister and politician, 83
 * 24 June – Thomas Richards, historian, 84
 * 3 August - Edgar Phillips, poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, 72
 * 23 August - Robert Bye, VC recipient, 72
 * 23 September - Margaret Jane Gordon (Lady Gordon), singer, 82
 * 5 November (in London) – Percy Cudlipp, journalist, 56
 * 30 November – Lewis Pugh Evans, Victoria Cross recipient, 81
 * 15 December – Charles Rhys, 8th Baron Dynevor, politician, 63
 * 17 December – Lonza Bowdler, Wales international rugby union player, 61
 * 21 December – Gary Hocking, motorcycle road racer, 25 (racing accident)