1994 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1994 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Secretary of State for Wales – John Redwood
 * Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – John Gwilym Jones

Events

 * 26 January – A man fires two blank shots at the Prince of Wales (now Charles III), during the prince's visit to Sydney, Australia.
 * 10 February – An earthquake shock measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale is experienced within a 50-mile radius of the epicentre near Bangor, Wales.
 * 18 March – An earthquake shock measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale is experienced within a 30-mile radius of the epicentre near Newtown, Montgomeryshire.
 * 1 April – At Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl, a 9-year-old boy is killed after being flung off the 58-year-old "Water Chute" ride when a steel hoop collapses in wet and windy conditions and falls onto the open-topped carriage in which he is travelling.
 * 29 June – In a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, the Prince of Wales admits having committed adultery after the breakdown of his marriage.
 * 19 July – Glenys Kinnock is elected to the European Parliament.
 * 24 July – Explosion at Pembroke Refinery injures 26.
 * 28 August – Sunday trading becomes legal in England and Wales for the first time.
 * 10 September – Bryn Terfel is guest soloist at the Last Night of the Proms in London.
 * Dr Elizabeth Haywood is the first winner of the Welsh Woman of the Year award.
 * Miners at the Tower Colliery in South Wales, led by Tyrone O'Sullivan, set up TEBO (Tower Employees Buy-Out) to try to save their mine.
 * Work begins on the Cardiff Bay barrage.
 * St Davids (population 2,000) is restored to city status in the United Kingdom at the request of the Queen, confirmed by letters patent presented on 1 June 1995.

Arts and literature

 * Foundation of the Harlech Biennale visual arts festival.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Neath)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Emyr Lewis, "Chwyldro"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Gerwyn Williams, "Dolenni"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Robin Llywelyn, O'r Harbwr Gwag i'r Cefnfor Gwyn
 * Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Eirug Wyn
 * Wales Book of the Year:
 * English language: Paul Ferris, Caitlin
 * Welsh language: Robin Chapman, W. J. Gruffydd
 * Aventis Prize – Steve Jones, The Language of the Genes
 * Glyndŵr Award – Ian Parrott (composer)

English language

 * John Davies – A History of Wales
 * Jonathan Dimbleby – The Prince of Wales: a Biography
 * Mike Jenkins – Graffiti Narratives
 * John May – Reference Wales
 * Jenny Rees – Looking for Mr Nobody; The Secret Life of Goronwy Rees

Welsh language

 * Donald Evans – Wrth Reddf
 * Bobi Jones – Crist a Chenedlaetholdeb (Christ and Nationalism)
 * Esyllt T. Lawrence - Cyn y Wawr
 * Mihangel Morgan - Te Gyda'r Frenhines

New music

 * Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Tatay (album)
 * Karl Jenkins - Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary

Film

 * Keith Allen plays the mysterious lodger in Shallow Grave.

Welsh-language films

 * Branwen (Ceri Sherlock)
 * Hedd Wyn
 * Tân ar y Comin (premièred 1 January on S4C television)
 * Ymadawiad Arthur

Music

 * John Cale performs a spoken-word duet with Suzanne Vega on the song "The Long Voyage" on Hector Zazou's album Chansons des mers froides.
 * Shakin' Stevens gives up recording.

Albums

 * Bryn Fôn – Dyddiau Di-gymar
 * Dafydd Iwan – Caneuon Gwerin

Welsh-language television

 * Gogs (animation)
 * Gwalia yng Nghasia (documentary)
 * Yr Heliwr ("A Mind to Kill") (drama)
 * Pengelli
 * Uned 5 (children's)

English-language television

 * Wales Tonight (HTV)

Sport

 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Steve Robinson
 * Commonwealth Games – The Wales team wins a total of 19 medals, including five golds (Colin Jackson, 110m hurdles; Neil Winter, pole vault; Michael Jay, rapid-fire pistol; David Morgan, middleweight weightlifting snatch and overall middleweight title).
 * Football – Vinnie Jones is chosen to captain the Wales international side.
 * Golf – Ian Woosnam wins the British Masters tournament.

Births

 * 7 February – Nathan Walker, Welsh-Australian ice hockey player
 * 30 June – Rhys Jones, sprinter
 * 2 July – Jessica Leigh Jones, engineer
 * 7 September – Elinor Barker, cyclist
 * 6 October – Joe Woolford, singer
 * date unknown – Rhys Morgan, health blogger

Deaths

 * 1 January – Allen Forward, Wales international rugby union player, 72
 * 23 March – Donald Swann, musician, 70
 * 30 April – Herbert Bowden, Baron Aylestone, politician, 89
 * 21 May – Cliff Wilson, snooker player, 60
 * 31 May – Tom Lewis, Wales international rugby union player, 89
 * 27 June – Jeremy Brooks, novelist, poet and dramatist, 67
 * 24 July – Aubrey Davies, cricketer, 79
 * 29 July – William Mathias, composer, 57
 * 31 July – Caitlin Macnamara, widow of Dylan Thomas, 80
 * 23 August – Wat Jones, cricketer, 77
 * 1 September – Dr Roger Thomas, politician, 68
 * 4 October – F. Gwendolen Rees, zoologist, 88
 * 9 October – Idris Hopkins, footballer, 83
 * 17 October – Gus Risman, rugby league player, 83
 * 28 October – Steve Curtis, boxer, 45
 * 6 December – Alun Owen, screenwriter, 69
 * 12 December – Stuart Evans, writer, 60
 * 29 December – Jack Rippon, cricketer, 76
 * 31 December – Harri Webb, poet, 74
 * date unknown
 * Colin Edwards, writer, 69/70
 * Elisabeth Inglis-Jones, writer, 93/4