1984 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1984 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

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

Events

 * 2 March – Carmarthen MP Dr Roger Thomas announces his resignation, having been prosecuted for importuning.
 * 12 March – The miners' strike begins, with a solid turn out from all NUM mines in Wales.
 * 31 March - The Guildford Crescent Baths close in Cardiff after 122 years, despite a campaign to keep them open.
 * 3 May – At the Cynon Valley by-election brought about by the death of MP Ioan Lyonel Evans, Ann Clwyd retains the seat for Labour with an increased majority.
 * 19 July – The Lleyn Peninsula earthquake, which strikes the Llŷn Peninsula at 06:56 UTC (07:56 BST), measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, is the largest known onshore earthquake to occur in the UK since instrumental measurements began.
 * 4 October – Dafydd Wigley resigns as leader of Plaid Cymru for domestic reasons.
 * 30 November – Taxi driver David Wilkie is killed when a concrete block is dropped onto his car as he drives a strikebreaker to work on the M4 motorway. Dean Hancock and Russell Shankland of Rhymney are later convicted of murder.
 * 3 December – First McDonald's hamburger fast food restaurant in Wales opens in Cardiff.
 * date unknown
 * Sam Edwards becomes Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge.
 * Clive Sinclair's C5 electric vehicle is manufactured at the Hoover works in Merthyr Tydfil.
 * Border Breweries (Wrexham) ceases to brew in Wales.
 * Creation of Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments Executive Agency.

Awards

 * Griff Rhys Jones wins the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Comedy Performance for his role in Charley's Aunt.
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Lampeter)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Aled Rhys Wiliam
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – John Roderick Rees
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – John Idris Owen
 * Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Richard Cyril Hughes, Castell Cyfaddawd

English language

 * Duncan Bush – Aquarium
 * Hywel Francis – Miners Against Fascism: Wales and the Spanish Civil War
 * Sian James – Dragons and Roses
 * Mike Jenkins – Empire of Smoke
 * Robert Minhinnick – Life Sentences
 * Leslie Thomas – In My Wildest Dreams

Welsh language

 * Gwynn ap Gwilym – Gwales
 * Geraint H. Jenkins – Hanes Cymru yn y Cyfnod Modern Cynnar: 1530–1760
 * Alun Jones – Oed Rhyw Addewid
 * Gerwyn Williams – Colli cyswllt

Music

 * Ar Log IV
 * The Alarm – Declaration (debut studio album)
 * Icons of Filth – Onward Christian Soldiers
 * Shakin' Stevens records "Teardrops" with Hank Marvin on guitar.
 * Phil Campbell joins Motörhead.
 * First Brecon Jazz Festival staged.

Film

 * Ray Milland makes his last film appearance in The Sea Serpent.
 * Sian Phillips stars in Dune.
 * Kevin Allen makes his big screen debut in The Man Who Shot Christmas.

Welsh-language films

 * None

Broadcasting

 * Gareth Gwenlan becomes Head of Comedy at the BBC.

English-language television

 * The District Nurse starring Nerys Hughes

Sport

 * Football – Ian Rush becomes the first Welshman to win the European Golden Boot award.
 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ian Rush
 * Horse racing – Neil Doughty wins the Grand National on Hallo Dandy.

Births

 * 27 February – Rhys Williams, athlete
 * 9 March – Owain Wyn Evans, broadcast presenter
 * 11 March – Tom James, Olympic gold medal-winning rower
 * 22 June – Arron Davies, footballer
 * 23 June – Duffy, singer
 * 31 July – Craig Stiens, footballer
 * 14 August – Rob Davies, table tennis player
 * 15 September – Prince Harry, son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana)
 * 20 September – Byron Anthony, footballer
 * 15 October – Owain Tudur Jones, footballer
 * 24 November – Matthew Mason, cricketer
 * date unknown – Gwawr Edwards, soprano

Deaths

 * 4 January – Enoch Jenkins, sports shooter, 91
 * 11 January – Gwyn Thomas, rugby player, 91
 * 14 January – Ivan Lloyd-Phillips, colonial administrator, 73
 * 26 January – Nathan Rocyn-Jones, doctor, international rugby player and President of the WRU, 81
 * 10 February – Ioan Evans, politician, 56
 * 11 April – John Lloyd Thomas, clergyman and teacher, 76
 * 15 April – Tommy Cooper, comedian, 63 (heart attack on stage)
 * 21 April – Wilf Hughes, cricketer, 73
 * 8 May – David Williams, geologist, 85
 * 20 May – Meredith Thomas, flying ace, 91
 * 13 June – David Evans, microbiologist, 74
 * 18 June – Idris Foster, academic, 72
 * 22 June – Dill Jones, jazz pianist, 60
 * 29 June – Seiriol Evans, clergyman and writer, 89
 * 6 July – Denys Val Baker, British writer and promoter of Celtic culture, 66
 * 30 July – Peter Jones, surgeon, 67
 * 5 August – Richard Burton, actor, 58 (brain haemorrhage)
 * 17 August – Mostyn Thomas, operatic baritone, 88
 * 27 August – Amabel Williams-Ellis, writer, 90
 * 9 September – Margaret Phillips, actress, 61
 * 23 September – Daniel Granville West, politician, 80
 * 12 October – Sir Anthony Berry, politician and son of Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, 59 (killed in Brighton hotel bombing)
 * 26 October – Seaborne Davies, lawyer and politician, 80
 * 18 November – Thomas Jones, Baron Maelor, politician, 86
 * 11 December (in Hendon) – Will Paynter, miners' leader, 81
 * date unknown – Arthur Fear, operatic bass-baritone