1983 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1983 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards
 * Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Jâms Nicholas

Events

 * 5 May - District council elections take place across Wales (and England). The Conservatives regain control of Cardiff City Council.
 * 9 June - In the UK General Election.
 * The SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, allies with the Liberals and gains fourteen seats.
 * Stefan Terlezki becomes MP for Cardiff West.
 * Plaid Cymru retains two seats.
 * John Marek is elected for Wrexham, becoming the only Czech-speaking MP.
 * Geraint Howells retains Ceredigion for the Liberals.
 * 21 June - Last coal raised at Tymawr and Lewis Merthyr Colliery.
 * September - The Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, heir to the Dutch throne, begins a two-year course of study at Atlantic College.
 * 5 September - Marcher Sound is launched on 1260 AM and 95.4 FM (now BBC Radio Wales) from Wrexham, inaugurating the Marcher Radio Group.
 * 2 October - Neil Kinnock, 41-year-old MP for Islwyn, replaces Michael Foot as leader of the UK Labour Party.
 * Alan Wilson discovers what he believes to be King Arthur's memorial stone at the small ruined church of St Peter-super-Montem on Mynydd-y-Gaer in Glamorgan.
 * The BBC National Chorus of Wales is formed.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llangefni)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Einion Evans
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eluned Phillips
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Tudor Wilson Evans

English language

 * Walter Hugh Boore - The Odyssey of Dai Lewis
 * Rachel Bromwich - Dafydd ap Gwilym: Poems
 * Alice Thomas Ellis - The 27th Kingdom
 * Emyr Humphreys – The Taliesin Tradition
 * Nigel Jenkins - Practical Dreams
 * Robert Nisbet - Stories of Sheepskin
 * Craig Thomas - Firefox Down

Welsh language

 * Marion Eames - Y Gaeaf Sydd Unig
 * Donald Evans – Machlud Canrif
 * R. Tudur Jones - Ffydd ac Argyfwng Cenedl
 * Alan Llwyd - Yn Nydd yr Anghenfil

New drama

 * W. S. Jones - Ifas y tryc

Music

 * The Alarm - "Sixty Eight Guns" (#17 in the UK Singles Chart)
 * Y Cyrff form at Llanrwst
 * First Cardiff Singer of the World competition, won by Finnish soprano Karita Mattila
 * Yma o Hyd is released by Dafydd Iwan and Ar Log

Film

 * Owen Glendower, Prince of Wales (TV film), starring David Barry

Welsh-language films

 * Yr Alcoholig Llon

Welsh-language television

 * SuperTed makes his first appearance.

English-language television

 * QED: Simon's War (about Simon Weston)

Sport

 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jones
 * Boxing - David Pearce of Newport wins the British heavyweight title.

Births

 * 11 January
 * Claire Evans, beauty queen
 * Rhodri Gomer-Davies, rugby player and reporter
 * 14 February - Rhydian Roberts, singer
 * 18 February - David Vaughan, footballer
 * 5 March - Owain Arthur, actor
 * 28 March - Richard Jones, chess master
 * 13 April - Nicole Cooke, cyclist
 * 12 May - Jamie Tolley, footballer
 * 19 May - Andrew Davies, darts player
 * 7 June - Gareth Jewell, actor
 * 9 June
 * Kate Alicia Morgan, beauty queen
 * Ryan Watkins, cricketer
 * 11 June - Huw Bennett, rugby player
 * 19 June - Richard Evans, footballer
 * 22 July - Ifan Evans, rugby player
 * 6 August - Lloyd Langford, comedian
 * 10 August - Richie Pugh, rugby player and coach
 * 23 August - James Collins, footballer
 * 26 August - Darren Jones, footballer
 * 9 October - Rianti Cartwright, half-Welsh actress (in Indonesia)
 * 5 November - David Pipe, footballer
 * date unknown - Myfanwy Waring, actress

Deaths

 * 5 January - Amy Evans, singer and actress, 98
 * 10 January (in Amsterdam) - Carwyn James, rugby coach, 53
 * 31 January - Edwin Williams, dual-code rugby international, 84
 * 10 February - Michael Roberts, politician, 55 (collapsed in Parliament)
 * 3 March - Percy Morgan, cricketer, 78
 * 20 March - Alec Jones, politician, 58
 * 23 March - David Wynne, composer, 82
 * 16 April - Gladys Morgan, comedienne, 84
 * 6 June - Bryn Howells, dual-code rugby player, 72
 * 23 June - Emrys Evans, dual-code rugby player, 72
 * 31 August - Iorwerth Jones, dual-code rugby player, 80
 * 1 September - John Williams, Dean of Llandaff, 76
 * 9 September - Edgar Morgan, dual-code rugby international, 87
 * 1 October - Ernie Finch, Wales international rugby player, 84
 * 8 October - Ron Wynn, footballer, 59
 * 24 October - Norman Fender, Wales dual-code rugby international, 73
 * 2 November - Tudor Watkins, politician, 80
 * 8 November - E. G. Bowen, geographer, 82
 * 15 November (in London) - Dai Rees, golfer, 70
 * 30 November - Richard Llewellyn, novelist, 76
 * 30 December - Ellis Evans, Dean of Monmouth, 75
 * date unknown - Mary Vaughan Jones, novelist, 64/65