This is atimeline of Welsh history, comprising important legal and territorial changes, and political events inWales.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 31,000 BC | Earliest reliably-dated "modern human" burial with artefacts, first discovered in the 1820s on theGower inSwansea. After theRed Lady of Paviland bones were recalibrated in 2009,[1] the (male)Homo sapiens bones were determined to be from 33,000 years ago.[2] | |
| c. 6000 BC | Following the end of glaciation and sea level stabilisation, Wales becomes roughly the shape it is today and is inhabited byMesolithic hunter-gatherers.[3] | |
| c. 4000 BC | The earliest farming communities become established in Wales, marking the beginning of theNeolithic period.[4]Megalithic tombs still survive from this period, such as thePentre Ifan Dolmen inPembrokeshire.[5] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 2500–2100 BC | Metal tools first appear, as copper ores are extracted from deepopen cast mines in central and northern Wales. Implements are initially made fromcopper, followed bybronze (made by addingtin andlead to copper).[6] | |
| c. 2500–700 BC | Wales is part ofBronze Age Britain, amaritime trading culture,[7] selling tin, lead, iron, silver, gold, pearls, corn, cattle, hides, skins, fleeces, trained hunting dogs and slaves, and buying ivory, amber, glass vessels and other luxuries;[8]: 12 bronze axeheads from this area have been found on the coasts of Brittany and Germany.[9] | |
| c. 650 BC | Implements start to be produced from iron, the earliest examples are believed to come fromLlyn Fawr in South Wales.[10] | |
| c. 400 BC | Iron Age settlements emerge in Wales, two of the earliest beingCastell Odo, a small hillfort near the tip of theLlŷn Peninsula[11] and Lodge Wood Camp, above the later Roman fort atCaerleon.[12] | |
| c. 150 BC | Gold coins are being minted at least as early as this date, imitatingMacedonian designs.[8]: 12 | |
| 54 BC | Tacitus later (1st century AD) records that Cymry (Welsh people) assisted in repellingJulius Caesar's second invasion.[13] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 25–75 | Celtic chariot burial in southern Britain discovered inLlanstadwell,Pembrokeshire, in 2018[14] | |
| 48 | The Roman conquest of Wales begins as theDeceangli tribe in the northeast submits toPublius Ostorius Scapula[15] | |
| 51 | Caratacus, a defeated chieftain from east England, encourages theSilures andOrdovices to attack Roman territories, ultimately unsuccessfully;[16] he is betrayed by theBrigantes and taken to Rome as a prisoner[17] | |
| 52 | A Roman legion, probablyLegio XX Valeria Victrix, is defeated by the Silures[15] | |
| c. 75 | The Silures have been defeated;[15] Romans establishVenta Silurum, a market town in theRoman province ofBritannia; the modern village ofCaerwent inMonmouthshire is built around the Roman ruins;[18] Roman fortress at Caerleon is established for theLegio II Augusta[19] | |
| 77 | Roman generalGnaeus Julius Agricola subjugates the Ordovices with "much slaughter"[15] | |
| 78 | Gaius Suetonius Paulinus completes the Roman conquest of Wales, ending with his campaign to capture Anglesey;[20] the conquest has involved at least thirteen campaigns, up to 30,000 soldiers and, due to Wales's particular terrain, the development of new tactics which were subsequently adopted in other parts of the empire[15] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 100–200 | Roman rule overBritannia is less evident in Wales than in other parts of Britain; there are few Roman settlements, but a number of roads, camps and forts;[21] the Romans exploit resources such as metal ores,[22] and to a lesser extent coal[23] | |
| c. 150 | According toPtolemy, Wales was populated by five indistinct peoples, mostly of Celtic origin:Ordovices,Silures,Demetae,Deceangli andGangani[24] | |
| c. 162 | Llandaff was probably the site of the first Christian church built in Wales[8]: 44 |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| — | Evidence of Christianity inGwent[25] | |
| — | Hoard of more than 3,000 Roman coins buried in a ceramic pot inPowys, discovered in 2011[26] | |
| c. 280 | Vines introduced into Britain, includingGlamorganshire; also first established around this time, fruit tree, vegetable and game species not previously indigenous[8]: 46 |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 311–313 | The edicts ofSerdica[27] andMilan allow Christians throughout the Empire to worship without restriction; there had been periods of persecution in Wales, including two martyrdoms:Julius and Aaron[28] | |
| 350–369 | Influx of settlers from Ireland take advantage of soft Roman rule in Wales[29][30] | |
| 383 | Effective end of Roman rule in Wales;[31]de facto Roman rulerMagnus Maximus leaves Wales defenceless when he embarks on a military campaign with considerable forces, and remains onthe continent with his troops[32] | |
| c. 389 | Irish,Scots andSaxon invaders begin to fill the vacuum left by Magnus Maximus and hisgarrison[33] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 410 | Roman garrison withdrawn from Britain,[34] followed by the emergence ofWelsh kingdoms, principallyGwynedd (north),Demetia (south, subsequentlyDyfed) andPowys (east)[35] | |
| c. 430 | Germanus of Auxerre promotes Christianity more widely in Wales and, as a former general, puts himself at the forefront of a British force in a confrontation with raiders nearMold[36] | |
| c. 450 | Cunedda Wledig (possibly the grandson of aRoman orRomano-Briton with military rank on the border with Scotland)[37] comes "from the north" and founds Gwynedd by driving out the Irish settlers[38] | |
| c. 480 | Tydfil, later Saint Tydfil—a daughter ofBrychan, king ofBrycheiniog (laterBrecknockshire)—is murdered atMerthyr[39] | |
| c. 490 | Dubricius is appointed archbishop ofCaerleon andLlandaff; he founds several colleges, including asylums for the aged and schools for the young[40] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 500–542 | The supposed time of the legendaryKing Arthur, of Welsh parentage and crowned atCaerleon, referred to by early writers such asNennius,Geoffrey of Monmouth and many others, but considered by more modern historians as a combination of "monkish legends and chivalrous fiction"[41] | |
| c. 500–589 | The time ofDewi ap Sanctus (grandson ofCeredig, founder ofCeredigion), who later became Saint David,patron saint of Wales[42] | |
| 519 | BishopDubricius presides over theSynod of Llanddewi Brefi, during which he resigns and recommends thatBishop Dewi succeed him; this is approved[43] | |
| c. 522 | Dewi moves the seat of theprimacy toMynyw, where the see became known as St David's, but the settlement was called Menevia at least until the 13th century,[44] and later became the city of St David's[45][43] | |
| 547 | Death ofMaelgwn Gwynedd,king of Gwynedd, known for funding the foundation of Christian churches throughout Wales;[46] Maelgwn may have died of thebubonic plague, a pandemic that spread across Europe and beyond in the early 540s, mostly via trade routes[47] | |
| c.560 | Death of Bishop Dewi. Hisepiscopal see at Menevia is renamedTy Ddewi (The House of David) in his honour[48] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 600 | The termsCymry (Welsh people) andCymru (Wales), as opposed to otherCeltic peoples and regions, already in use as self-identifiers[49] | |
| 615/616 | Battle of Chester betweenAnglo-Saxons and nativeBritons[50] | |
| 630 | Welsh/Mercian alliance between KingCadwallon ofGwynedd andPenda of Mercia defeats army of KingEdwin of Northumbria at theBattle of Cefn Digoll (or "Battle of the Long Mynd") atLong Mountain nearWelshpool[51] | |
| 633/4 | Cadwallon ap Cadfan, king of Gwynedd, dies in battle in the north of England[52][53] | |
| c. 655–682 | Reign ofCadwaladr ap Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd; 660 is the earliest date recorded[54]: 3 in the 14th centuryBrut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes), an important Welsh history source[55] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 700–750 | At the height of its powers,Mercia expands westwards to theDee,Wye, andSevern rivers, at the expense of the Welshkingdom of Powys; forced back into the upland regions, the Welsh launch a series of raids throughout the late 7th and early 8th centuries, in a bid to regain the rich farming territory of the lowlands.[8]: 108–117 | |
| c. 753 | An invading army fromWessex is beaten back by the Welsh atHereford[8]: 113–114 | |
| c. 754 | Death of kingRhodri Molwynog, whose lineage is unclear, and whose predecessor and date of succession are not known; the reign of king Rhodri's successor, Cynan (probably Rhodri's son), was one of incessant warfare; Rhodri may have been succeeded byCaradog ap Meirion, or Caradog may have been a district ruler[8]: 115–116 | |
| c. 755–794 | Offa of Mercia andCynewulf of Wessex campaign vigorously along the length of the border with the Welsh kingdoms, causing the Welsh to lose lands they would never recover and largely establishing the eastern borders of Wales that exist today; internal Welsh strife continues[8]: 114–117 | |
| c. 757–796 | Offa's Dyke is built along the Wales–England border to mark the boundary between AnglianMercia and the Welsh kingdom ofPowys; however,radiocarbon dating of samples taken fromexcavations in 2014 reveal that it may have been constructed much earlier than this, and over an extended time period[56] | |
| 768 | TheWelsh church adopts theCatholic method of calculatingEaster through the efforts of bishopElfodd[8]: 114 | |
| 795/6 | Battle at Rhuddlan Marsh, between theSaxons and Welsh; there is confusion between possible battles at Rhuddlan Marsh (Denbighshire) in 795 andRhuddlan (Flintshire) in 796[57] | |
| c. 798 | When Caradog of Gwynedd andMeredydd of Dyfed die at the hands of the Mercians,Cynan ap Rhodri becomes the next king of Gwynedd[8]: 116 |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 825 | Egbert of Wessex defeats the Mercians and demands sovereignty over Wales[58] | |
| c. 828 | Nennius, a 9th-century Welsh monk, is thought to have writtenHistoria Brittonum, a history of theCeltic Britons, although some experts argue that the work was written anonymously[59] | |
| 844 | Rhodri ap Merfyn (later known as Rhodri the Great) becomesking of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth by right of succession, uniting the three kingdoms under one rule[58] | |
| c. 873 | WhenRhodri the Great dies fighting the Saxons onAnglesey, his three eldest sons become regional rulers:Cadell inSeisyllwg (mainlyCeredigion),Anarawd in Gwynedd andMerfyn inPowys[54]: 15 | |
| 877 | Cadell ap Rhodri invades Powys, capturing Merfyn's territory[54]: 17 | |
| c. 885 | Several Welsh kings submit to Alfred the Great's lordship;Asser, a Welsh cleric, is invited to join Alfred in Wessex; in 893, Asser writes a biography of Alfred[60] | |
| 892 | Anarawd ap Rhodri takes over Ceredigion and attacksDyfed; Merfyn ap Rhodri is killed by his own men[54]: 19 | |
| 893 | (spring) | TheBattle of Buttington ends in victory for a combined Anglo-Saxon and Welsh force against the DanishVikings;[61] theButtington Oak, believed to have been planted around this time to commemorate the battle, survives until February 2018[62] |
| (autumn) | Danish Vikings occupy the town ofChester, but whenAlfred the Great cuts off their food supplies, they move west and carry out raids in north Wales before returning to Essex[citation needed] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 900 | Death ofCadell ap Rhodri, king ofSeisyllwg;Anarawd ap Rhodri becomes ruler of most of Wales, being the last to survive of Rhodri the Great's three eldest sons[54]: 21 | |
| 904 | Hywel ap Cadell (grandson ofRhodri the Great) marries Elen,[63] daughter ofLlywarch ap Hyfaidd, the late king of Dyfed, thus inheriting the kingdom[54]: 21 | |
| 913 | Death of Hywel's uncle, Anarawd ap Rhodri[54]: 21 | |
| 920 | Hywel ap Cadell unites the kingdoms of Dyfed and Seisyllwg, to create the new realm ofDeheubarth ("southern district")[citation needed] | |
| c. 926 | Hywel convenes a council from all parts of Wales to establish a set ofLaws for the whole country; he takes the transcript to Rome and obtains the Pope's approval[64] | |
| 928 | KingÆthelstan of England asserts authority over the Welsh kings, and fixes the border between England and Wales at theRiver Wye;[65] this may have been the first time a border dispute (involving the Welsh in theWitangemot) was settled by discussion, rather than by war[64] | |
| 943 | Hywel ap Cadell (known by this time asHywel Dda or "Hywel the Good") assumes control ofGwynedd after a joint Danish and Saxon incursion leads to the death of their king and his brother;[66] Hywel eventually extends his rule to most of Wales[67] | |
| 948 | Death of king Hywel Dda,[68] followed by several decades of inter-family warfare, interspersed with battles with the Saxons and Danes[54]: 25 | |
| 950 | Hywel Dda's nephews,Iago ab Idwal andIeuaf ab Idwal, reclaim the kingdom of Gwynedd by driving out their cousins at the Battle of Carno[54]: 25 | |
| 952–954 | Territorial struggles continue between the sons and nephews ofHywel Dda, ending in defeat for the southern princes at a major battle nearLlanrwst[54]: 25–27 | |
| 969 | Iago ab Idwal imprisons his brother Ieuaf, then continues to rule Gwynedd unimpeded for the next decade[54]: 33 | |
| 972 | KingEdgar of Englandcomes to Chester in person to broker peace between the regional kings, but the conflicts resume after his departure[69] | |
| 979 | Iago ab Idwal is defeated in battle by his nephewHywel ap Ieuaf, who becomes the next king of Gwynedd[54]: 33 | |
| 985 | After the death of Hywel ap Ieuaf, his brotherCadwallon ab Ieuaf takes on the rule of Gwynedd for a brief period[54]: 37 | |
| 986 | Maredudd ab Owain captures the kingdom of Gwynedd, which is later annexed with Deheubarth; Danes invade in the south[54]: 37 | |
| 987 | After carrying out several major raids on Wales in previous years, Norse kingGodfrey Haroldson takes two thousand captives fromAnglesey for ransom[70] | |
| 996 | Vikings sackSt David's inPembrokeshire, and murder the bishop, Morgeneu[54]: 43 | |
| 999 | Cynan ap Hywel becomes king of Gwynedd[54]: 43 |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1000 | Aeddan ap Blegywryd subjugates north Wales; the hereditary heir,Iago, flees to Ireland;Cynan ap Hywel, though supported by Irish Danes, fails to recover his possessions[71] | |
| 1005 | On the death of Cynan, the pretender Aeddan is ruler ofGwynedd[72] | |
| 1018 | Llywelyn ap Seisyll, with distant claims to Gwynedd and Deheubarth, defeats Aeddan (who is killed along with his four sons)[73] and takes control of the kingdoms of Gwynedd andPowys[74] | |
| 1022 | Llywelyn ap Seisyll defeats thepretenderRhain ("the Irishman"), who claimed to be a son ofMaredudd ab Owain, atAbergwili[75] and takes control of the south[76] | |
| 1023 | On the death of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, the rule of Gwynedd and Powys passes toIago ab Idwal ap Meurig who is descended from theancient dynasty[74] | |
| 1039 | Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig is killed by his own men,[74] and replaced as ruler of Gwynedd and Powys byGruffydd ap Llywelyn (King Llywelyn ap Seisyll's son, and great-great-grandson ofHywel Dda)[77] | |
| 1055 | 24 October | Gruffydd ap Llywelyn sacks Hereford, one of several territories that he is able to seize in Wales and along the border with England[77] |
| 1056 | 16 June | Gruffydd ap Llywelyn defeats an English army at the Battle of Glasbury (Claftbyrig), near Hereford;[77] around this time, he begins to be recognised as the trueKing of Wales[78] |
| 1062–1063 | English noblemanHarold Godwinson (who will later become the lastAnglo-Saxon king of England) leads a series of campaigns againstGruffydd ap Llywelyn[77] | |
| 1063 | 5 August | Death of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn,[79] after which the Welsh kingdoms are ruled separately for a brief period prior to theNorman invasion of Wales;Bleddyn ap Cynfyn becomes king of Gwynedd[80] |
| 1067 | Gwent is invaded byWilliam FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford and his followers, and becomes the first of the Welsh kingdoms to be overrun following theNorman conquest of England the previous year[81] | |
| 1070 | Bleddyn ap Cynfyn becomes king of both Gwynedd and Powys after theBattle of Mechain[82] | |
| 1075 | Death ofBleddyn ap Cynfyn leads to a civil war in which theNormans take the opportunity to seize lands in northern Wales[80] | |
| 1081 | Gruffudd ap Cynan becomes king of Gwynedd following theBattle of Mynydd Carn, but is captured and imprisoned by Norman invaders soon afterwards;[83] William the Conqueror leads a Norman army into Deheubarth, and worships at the shrine of St David[84] | |
| 1088–1092 | Lordships of Welsh lands apportioned to Normans and their Welsh allies; Normans accelerate building or strengthening castles across the country[54]: 73–77 | |
| 1094–1098 | Welsh revolt against Norman rule leads to territories being regained by the Britons;[83]William II of England attempts to suppress the revolt in north Wales with little success[54]: 81–85 | |
| 1098 | June/July | Shortly after capturingAnglesey from the Welsh, the Normans are defeated at theBattle of Anglesey Sound and forced to retreat, paving the way for the return of the exiledGruffudd ap Cynan[54]: 85 |
| 1099 | Gruffudd ap Cynan escapes from imprisonment again and rules Anglesey with the consent of the Normans[83] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1100 | With the death ofWilliam II, much of Wales is under Welsh rule but, with constant struggles for local control, there is no cohesive national identity[85] | |
| 1102–1113 | Period of violent power struggles for regional control between the English crown, under the new KingHenry I, and Welsh leaders such asIorwerth ap Bleddyn,Prince of Powys, and his brothersCadwgan andMaredudd[54]: 87–95 | |
| c. 1106 | Construction begins onOgmore Castle in Glamorgan, one of the earliestNorman stone castles in South Wales[86] | |
| 1111–1114 | Normans move into south and north Wales; peace is agreed between King Henry I andGruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd;Owain ap Cadwgan is knighted by King Henry I for his service inNormandy[54]: 95–97 | |
| 1115–1130 | A period of inter-family differences and rights of succession, mainly in the south and east (but to some extent in Gwynedd), are marked by warfare and brutality; Owain ap Cadwgan is killed in battle and most of Powys passes to his uncle,Maredudd ap Bleddyn[54]: 97–111 [87] | |
| c. 1123 | Saint David is canonised by theHoly See[88] | |
| 1131 | 9 May | Tintern Abbey, the firstCistercian monastery in Wales, is founded inMonmouthshire[89] |
| 1132 | 9 February | Death of Maredudd ap Bleddyn; he is succeeded as ruler of Powys by his sonMadog ap Maredudd[90] |
| 1136 | 1 January | The Welsh revolt against Norman occupation continues with a defeat of Norman forces at theBattle of Llwchwr (Battle of Gower)[91] |
| September/ October | Owain ap Gruffudd, allied withGruffydd ap Rhys ofDeheubarth, inflicts a crushing defeat on the Normans at theBattle of Crug Mawr[92] and annexesCeredigion[54]: 111 | |
| 1137 | 11 April | Death of Gruffudd ap Cynan; he is succeeded as king of Gwynedd by his son Owain ap Gruffudd (who later becomes known asOwain Gwynedd)[54]: 113 |
| 1157 | July | Owain Gwynedd, with an army of around 3,000, forces the retreat ofHenry II's much larger army (supported by Madog of Powys, who has yielded to Henry the previous year)[93] at theBattle of Ewloe inFlintshire;[94][95] following the campaign, Owain yields to Henry, but retains his rule and territory[93] |
| 1160 | Following the death of Madog ap Maredudd, thekingdom of Powys is split into two parts:Maelor, the northern portion, is later renamedPowys Fadog; andCyfeiliog, in the south, becomesPowys Wenwynwyn[96] | |
| 1165 | August | Henry II's efforts to subdue north Wales continue with the inconclusiveBattle of Crogen in theCeiriog Valley[97][98] |
| 1170 | Death of Owain Gwynedd throws the kingdom of Gwynedd into disarray; within weeks, his nominated heirHywel is dead, and his illegitimate sonDafydd usurps the rule of Gwynedd, but he fails to maintain his father's hold on south Wales, which falls into the hands ofRhys ap Gruffydd[54]: 133 | |
| 1171 | Henry II leads a large army into south Wales, meets amicably with Rhys ap Gruffydd, and after making an offering at St David's shrine, he sails fromPembroke with his army for Ireland[99] | |
| 1172 | Rhys ap Gruffydd is appointed justice of south Wales by Henry II, essentially becoming ruler in Henry's stead[96] | |
| 1176 | December | To celebrate his primacy, Rhys ap Gruffydd hostsa gathering of bards, musicians and performers atCardigan Castle, which is now regarded as the first recordedeisteddfod[100][96] |
| 1188 | Gerald of Wales accompanies theArchbishop of Canterbury on a journey through Wales to recruit volunteers for theThird Crusade;Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn refuses to support the visit and is consequently excommunicated[101] | |
| 1191 | Gerald of Wales writesItinerarium Cambriae, an account of his tour of Wales with the Archbishop of Canterbury three years earlier[102] | |
| 1194 | Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (who later becomes known as Llywelyn the Great) defeats his uncle Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd at theBattle of Aberconwy and seizes control of Gwynedd[103] | |
| Gerald of Wales writesDescriptio Cambriae; he writes of Wales as a nation, with defined borders, and a common ancestry and identity who"if they would be inseparable, they would be insuperable"[104] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 | By this date, the title of regional rulers as "king" has given way to the title "prince"[96] | |
| 1201 | July | Llywelyn the Great,Prince of Gwynedd, signs a treaty with KingJohn of England and they remain on good terms for the next ten years[105] |
| 1204 | After five years of lobbying, including directly to the Pope,Gerald of Wales fails to have St David's raised to an archbishopric[106] | |
| 1205 | Llywelyn the Great consolidates his position by marrying King John's illegitimate daughterJoan[105] | |
| 1211 | August | Suspicious of Llywelyn's expansion of Gwynedd into neighbouring territories, King John invades Gwynedd, assisted by most of the other Welsh princes, forcing Llywelyn to seek terms with John and accept abandonment by his allies[105] |
| 1212 | John's clear intent of intrusive overlordship of Wales leads to Welsh leaders rallying to Llywelyn the Great, who recaptures all of Gwynedd; King John plans another invasion but this attempt is abandoned[105] | |
| 1215 | May | Llywelyn, in support of the disaffected English barons, seizes Shrewsbury, a factor in King John's submission to the barons[105] |
| 15 June | When King John is forced to signMagna Carta, Llywelyn the Great is rewarded with several favourable provisions relating to Wales, in particular the rights to its own laws[105] | |
| 1218 | After three more years of conflict within Wales, Llywelyn overcomes all opposition and receives the homage of all the other Welsh rulers, and his pre-eminence is confirmed by the English crown in theTreaty of Worcester[107] | |
| 1234 | 21 June | The "Peace of Middle" establishes a truce between Llywelyn the Great and the English Crown; Llywelyn styles himself"Prince of Aberffraw" and"Lord of Snowdonia"[107] |
| 1240 | 11 April | Death of Llywelyn the Great;Dafydd ap Llywelyn succeeds his father as Prince of Gwynedd, but King Henry III does not support his overlordship as prince of all Wales, thus deliberately undermining Welsh unity[108] |
| 1244 | KingHenry III of England attacks Gwynedd; Dafydd styles himself prince of Wales; he offers Wales as a vassal state to the Pope, to free Wales from English dominion, but this is denied[108] | |
| 1246 | 25 February | Dafydd ap Llywelyn dies without issue; his nephewLlywelyn ap Gruffudd (grandson of Llywelyn the Great) eventually succeeds as Prince of Gwynedd[108] |
| 1247 | After three years of devastating war, Wales is reduced again to lordships under English rule by theTreaty of Woodstock[108] | |
| 1258 | Llywelyn ap Gruffudd begins to use the title of "Prince of Wales"[109] | |
| 1267 | 29 September | King Henry III accepts Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales under the terms of theTreaty of Montgomery[109] |
| 1282 | 11 December | Death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at theBattle of Orewin Bridge; his brotherDafydd ap Gruffydd succeeds, styling himself Prince of Wales[110] |
| 1283 | 22 June | Dafydd ap Gruffudd is captured by KingEdward I of England and charged withhigh treason[110] |
| 3 October | Dafydd ap Gruffudd is executed atShrewsbury[110] | |
| 1284 | 3 March | King Edward I enacts theStatute of Rhuddlan, which provides the constitutional basis for the government of thePrincipality of North Wales[111] |
| 1294–1295 | Madog ap Llywelyn leadsa Welsh revolt against English rule, claiming the title of "Prince of Wales"[112] | |
| 1295 | Madog is defeated at theBattle of Maes Moydog; he escapes, but subsequently surrenders unconditionally and is taken to London, but his fate is unknown.[112] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1301 | 7 February | Edward of Carnarvon is invested as the first English Prince of Wales (as the title is transferred to the heir apparent to the English or British throne)[113] |
| 1306 | Work resumes onBeaumaris Castle prompted by fears of a Scottish invasion of North Wales[114][115] | |
| 1316 | 28 January | Llywelyn Bren launches a surprise attack onCaerphilly Castle in a revolt against English rule in Wales; he lays siege to the castle for six weeks and surrenders unconditionally toKing Edward II's forces on 18 March[116] |
| 1318 | Llywelyn Bren is unlawfully executed atCardiff Castle[116] | |
| 1321 | May | Newport,Cardiff andCaerphilly are seized by theMarcher LordRoger Mortimer in an intense eight-day campaign in theDespenser War against King Edward II of England[117] |
| 1326 | King Edward II retreats to Wales with his forces after his regime collapses; he is captured by rebel forces north of Caerphilly, escorted back to England viaMonmouth Castle and relinquishes his crown two months later[118] | |
| 1330 | The construction ofBeaumaris Castle is halted and, despite a huge sum of money being spent on it (£15,000) the building is never completed[114][115] | |
| 1339 | Farndon Bridge is built across theRiver Dee and theWales–England border[119] | |
| 1345 | The first stone bridge atLlangollen is built across the River Dee byJohn Trevor[120] | |
| 1369 | Owain Lawgoch launches an unsuccessful invasion attempt on Wales in a bid to take back his confiscated lands[121] | |
| 1372 | May | In Paris, Owain Lawgoch announces his intention of claiming the throne of Wales, and then mobilises his forces in readiness for another invasion attempt[121] |
| 1384 | Owain Glyndŵr enters the army of KingRichard II of England[122] | |
| 1399 | July–September | King Richard II seeks refuge atConwy Castle and surrenders toHenry Bolingbroke atFlint Castle[123] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1401 | March | Conwy Castle is taken byOwain Glyndŵr's supporters and is held for several months.[124][125] |
| June | TheBattle of Mynydd Hyddgen, part of theGlyndŵr Rising against English rule, is the first major victory for Glyndŵr's Welsh rebels.[126] | |
| 2 November | At theBattle of Tuthill atCaernarfon, Owain Glyndŵr first raises the royal standard bearing a golden dragon on a white field.[122] | |
| 1402 | 22 June | TheBattle of Bryn Glas (also known as the Battle of Pilleth) ends in victory for Owain Glyndŵr, prolonging the Welsh rebellion against English rule.[122]: 22, 231 |
| August | Owain Glyndŵr receives a warm welcome in southeast Wales.[127] | |
| 1403 | July | Owain Glyndŵr attacks, but fails to take,Carreg Cennen Castle.[128] |
| 21 July | TheBattle of Shrewsbury ends in defeat and the death ofHenry Percy, an ally of Owain Glyndŵr, ending the Percy challenge to KingHenry IV of England.[129] | |
| Autumn | The reputedBattle of Stalling Down nearCowbridge ends in defeat for the King's army.[130] | |
| 1404 | May | Owain Glyndŵr writes to the King of France requesting military support.[131] |
| July | Owain Glyndŵr holds a Welsh Parliament inMachynlleth, where he is crowned Prince of Wales[132] in the presence of envoys from France, Scotland and Castile.[131] | |
| 1405 | 28 February | Peak of the Glyndŵr Rising:Tripartite Indenture is agreed between Owain Glyndŵr,Henry Percy andEdmund Mortimer, to divide Wales and England between them, at the expense of King Henry IV.[131][133] |
| 5 May | TheBattle of Pwll Melyn is the first major defeat for Owain Glyndŵr.[134][135] | |
| August | French forces land at Milford Haven;[131] Owain Glyndŵr holds his second Welsh Parliament, atHarlech Castle.[citation needed] | |
| November | Owain Glyndŵr's forces and French forces reach Worcester, but not seeing English support, the French abandon the campaign and return to France.[135] | |
| 1406 | 31 March | Owain Glyndŵr writes the "Pennal Letter" to KingCharles VI of France, outlining his vision for the future government of an independent Wales.[136] |
| 1408 | September | Aberystwyth Castle surrenders to the English, and Owain Glyndŵr moves his court to Harlech.[137] |
| 1409 | Harlech Castle is captured by English forces; Glyndŵr and his supporters flee to the mountains, from where they continue sporadic attacks for several years;[137] Glyndŵr's wifeMargaret Hanmer is taken prisoner, along with her children and grandchildren, most of whom probably die later in captivity (Hanmer herself dies c. 1420).[citation needed] | |
| 1413 | Nothing is heard of Owain Glyndŵr after this date.[138] | |
| 1415 | 21 September | End of the Glyndŵr Rising; approximate date of Owain Glyndŵr's death, possibly in Herefordshire[138] |
| 25 October | Welsh archers play a key part in the victory of KingHenry V of England over a much larger French army at theBattle of Agincourt;[139] some Welsh combatants fight on the French side.[140] | |
| 1417 | 30 April | Owain Glyndŵr's son,Maredudd ab Owain Glyndŵr, declines the offer of a pardon from King Henry V for both himself and his father.[141] |
| 1421 | Maredudd ab Owain Glyndŵr finally accepts a pardon (for himself alone) from King Henry V.[142] | |
| 1437 | Work begins on the construction of the (present)Raglan Castle, replacing an earlier structure.[143][144] | |
| c. 1451 | The first large-scaleeisteddfod is held atCarmarthen:Dafydd ab Edmwnd wins the silver chair for his poetry.[145] | |
| 1460 | 10 July | Following defeat at theBattle of Northampton, the Queen of England,Margaret of Anjou, escapes toHarlech Castle with her sonEdward, Prince of Wales.[citation needed] |
| 1468 | 14 August | The garrison of Harlech Castle surrenders to KingEdward IV after a seven-year siege.[146][147] |
| 1471 | 4 May | TheBattle of Tewkesbury endsLancastrian hopes of regaining the ascendance over theHouse of York in theWars of the Roses; King Edward IV is victorious, andEdward of Westminster becomes the only Prince of Wales ever to die in battle.[148] |
| 1473 | The Court of the President andCouncil of Wales is established atLudlow Castle.[149] | |
| 1483 | 14 April | Whilst residing at Ludlow Castle, 12-year-old KingEdward V of England receives news of his father's sudden death and his own accession to the English throne; the Council at Ludlow comes to an end.[149] |
| 1485 | 1 August | Henry Tudor lands near Dale, Pembrokeshire, and marches through Wales (8 to 14 August)[150] and England where, on 22 August, he defeats KingRichard III at theBattle of Bosworth Field[151] to become the third and last Welsh-born King of England. |
| 1488 | KingHenry VII's uncle,Jasper Tudor, takes possession ofCardiff Castle.[152] | |
| 1490 | 27 February | English-bornArthur Tudor, the eldest son of King Henry VII, is ceremonially invested as Prince of Wales at thePalace of Westminster.[153] |
| 1498 | An insurrection breaks out inMeirionydd in north Wales and the rebels captureHarlech Castle; the revolt is the last of the medieval era in Wales.[citation needed] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1523 | Caerwys hosts aneisteddfod, one of the most important of the early modern era, attended by Welsh poetTudur Aled[154] | |
| 1535–1542 | Laws in Wales Acts replace Welsh law with English law and replace theMarcher Lordships with newly established counties; Wales is unified with England[155] | |
| 1536 | Dissolution of the monasteries: a great number of abbeys and priories in Wales are suppressed over the next four years, includingMonmouth Priory,[156]Neath Abbey,[157] andTintern Abbey[158] | |
| 1546 | Yny lhyvyr hwnn, the first book to be printed in the Welsh language (said to be written anonymously by SirJohn Prise), is published in London[159] | |
| 1563 | TheUsk Bridge is built to replace the medieval bridge that was washed away in floods in 1535; this isBrecon's oldest route over theRiver Usk[160] | |
| 1567 | Caerwys hosts its second large-scale eisteddfod, sanctioned by QueenElizabeth I of England[161] | |
| 1573 | The earliest map showing Wales as a separate country from the rest of Great Britain,Cambriae Typus byHumphrey Llwyd, is published in the first modern atlasTheatrum Orbis Terrarum[162] | |
| 1584 | The first Welsh coppersmelting works is established atAberdulais[6] | |
| 1588 | The first translation of the Bible into Welsh,Y Beibl cyssegr-lan by bishopWilliam Morgan, is published[163] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1601 | Poor Relief Act 1601 is passed to create apoor law system in England and Wales[164] | |
| 1606 | 12 April | A newnational flag is created by royal decree to mark the union between England and Scotland; Wales is not represented in the design because it is legally a part ofEngland[165] |
| 1607 | 30 January | Bristol Channel floods cause devastation on the south coast of Wales, affecting Pembrokeshire, Glamorgan, and Monmouthshire;[166] Cardiff is the worst affected town, with the foundations ofSt Mary's Church destroyed[167] |
| 1615–1617 | TheWye Bridge in Monmouth is rebuilt in stone[168] | |
| 1620 | BishopWilliam Morgan's Bible translation into Welsh (first published in 1588) is revised by BishopRichard Parry and DrJohn Davies asY Bibl Cyssegr-lan, and published in London[169] | |
| 1636 | The three-arch stone bridge, Pont Fawr,[170] atLlanrwst is built forSir Richard Wynn ofGwydir Castle; nicknamed locally as "Pont Inigo Jones", its design is attributed to classical architectInigo Jones[171] | |
| 1640 | Cannon production begins atBersham Ironworks[172] | |
| 1642/43 | Skirmishes betweenParliamentarians andRoyalists bring theEnglish Civil War to (largely Royalist or neutral[173]) Wales, including naval action atMilford Haven[174] | |
| 1643 | November | Parliamentary forces make piecemeal strategic gains in Wales from the north and south[175] |
| 1644 | April | Further advances by Parliamentary forces in southwest Wales, threatening Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire[176] |
| July | Widespread military actions across the whole of south Wales, resulting in gains for the Parliamentarians[177] | |
| 17 September | The first battle of the English Civil War on Welsh soil takes place atMontgomery andthe castle is taken by the Parliamentarians[178] | |
| 1644/45 | Cardigan Castle is besieged and captured by Parliamentarians, before being attacked by Royalists who leave the castleslighted and burned[179][180] | |
| 1645 | June–September | KingCharles I of England tours south and mid-Wales to rally support in the wake of his defeat at theBattle of Naseby[181] |
| 1646 | February | Cardiff Castle is besieged by Royalists, but relieved by Parliamentarians[182] |
| April–June | Aberystwyth Castle, after a long siege, surrenders to Parliamentary forces; most castles in north Wales are under siege; Caernarvon, Anglesey and Beaumaris submit to Parliament[183] | |
| 19 August | Raglan Castle surrenders to Parliamentary forces[184] | |
| October | Denbigh Castle surrenders to Parliamentary forces[185] | |
| 1647 | 19 January | Holt Castle surrenders to Parliamentary forces after a siege lasting several months[186] |
| 16 March | Harlech Castle surrenders to Parliamentary forces; it is the last Royalist stronghold of the English Civil War in mainland Britain[187] | |
| 1648 | 8 May | TheBattle of St. Fagans takes place near Cardiff, a pitched battle (termed by some an insurrection) between Parliamentarians and Royalists (more accurately disaffected Parliamentary forces), part of theSecond English Civil War,[188] in which there is fighting throughout south Wales[189] |
| June | Fighting breaks out in north Wales; the insurrection is suppressed[190] | |
| July | After a long siege, Pembroke surrenders to Parliament[191] | |
| July–October | Anglesey is the last area in Wales to submit to the rule of Parliament, which demands the sum of £7,000 for military expenditure; end of the English Civil War in Wales[192] | |
| 1649 | January | Welsh politicians,Thomas Wogan (Pembroke) andJohn Jones Maesygarnedd (Merioneth), are among the signatories to the death warrant ofCharles I; after the restoration, Wogan flees the country and Jones is executed[193][194] |
| Aberystwyth Castle isslighted byCommonwealth troops[195] | ||
| June | Montgomery Castle is demolished by order of theRump Parliament[196] | |
| 1650 | 22 February | TheAct for the better propagation and preaching of the Gospel in Wales is passed byParliament, resulting in the ejection ofdissident clergymen and the creation of English-language schools[197] |
| 1655 | Conwy Castle is slighted by order of theEnglish Council of State following theBritish Civil Wars[198] | |
| 1659 | 5 August | Booth's Rebellion proclaimsCharles II as King of England; its leaders includeThomas Myddelton, a former Parliamentary general, ofChirk Castle nearWrexham[199] |
| Denbigh Castle is slighted after being seized byRoyalist soldiers[200][201] | ||
| 1682 | 30 August | A group of Welsh settlers, includingThomas Wynne, set sail forPennsylvania[202] |
| 1686 | Welsh Quaker leaderRowland Ellis, and his fellowQuakers, leave Wales forPennsylvania to avoid religious persecution[203] | |
| 1688 | Abergavenny'sRoyal charter is annulled when the chief officers of the town's corporation refuse to take theoath of allegiance to KingWilliam III of England, leading to a subsequent decline in the town's prosperity[204] | |
| 1694 | The first of two copper mills opens in theNeath Valley, powered by waterfalls on theRiver Neath. Coppersmelting,refining andworking becomes a prime commercial concern in Wales in the late 17th century.[6] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1717 | 4 November | Skerries Lighthouse begins operation, guiding ships past the low tract of submerged land offCarmel Head, northwestAnglesey[205] |
| 1723 | TheWorkhouse Test Act (also known as Knatchbull's Act) is passed by UK government, leading to the establishment of numerous workhouses in England and Wales over the next two decades[206][207] | |
| 1746 | TheWales and Berwick Act is passed, creating a statutory definition of "England" as including England, Wales andBerwick-upon-Tweed[208] | |
| 1761 | Bersham Ironworks employs a new boring machine for the accurate production of smooth bore cannon, later supplying cannon for use in theAmerican War of Independence and theNapoleonic wars[172] | |
| 1765 | Opening of theCyfarthfa Ironworks and construction of the first cokeblast furnace for the production of pig iron[209] | |
| 1768 | A rich seam of copperore is discovered atParys Mountain, Anglesey, leading to the formation of the Parys Mine Company, soon to become the world's most productive copper mining concern. Wales dominates the world copper markets throughout this period.[6] | |
| 1782 | TheRelief of the Poor Act (also known as Gilbert's Act) is passed by UK government, enabling poor relief to be provided at home for the able-bodied poor[210][211] (later repealed in 1871 by theStatute Law Revision Act) | |
| 1793 | Pont-y-Cafnau, the world's earliest surviving iron railway bridge, is constructed to support a tramway and aqueduct for the transport of raw materials to theCyfarthfa Ironworks[212] | |
| 1797 | 22–24 February | ThePembrokeshire coast is invaded byRepublican France in theBattle of Fishguard, often referred to as the "last invasion of Britain" as it represents the last assault launched on British soil by a hostile foreign power[213] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1802 | Admiral Nelson pays a personal visit to theCyfarthfa Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil[209] | |
| 1804 | 21 February | The world's first ever railway journey takes place whenRichard Trevithick'ssteam locomotive runs along the newly laidtramroad fromPenydarren Ironworks to the canal wharf atAbercynon[214] |
| 1810/11 | William Madocks builds a sea wall to reclaim a large proportion ofTraeth Mawr from the sea for agricultural use, the origins of the town ofPorthmadog[215] | |
| 1819 | The first "provincial"eisteddfod is held inCarmarthen, marking the revival of the traditional arts festival as a Welsh institution[216] | |
| 1823 | 18 January | TheRed Lady of Paviland, a partial skeleton from theStone Age, is discovered byWilliam Buckland in a limestone cave on theGower Peninsula; considered to be the oldest known ceremonial burial in Western Europe[citation needed] |
| 1830 | Merthyr Tydfil is by now the largest town in Wales, mainly populated by workers in the iron and coal industries, and their families[217] | |
| 1831 | June | An armed uprising takes place in Merthyr Tydfil, as thousands of workers protest against their poor wages and working conditions[217] |
| 13 August | Despite apetition for his release, a young miner called Richard Lewis (also known asDic Penderyn) is hanged outsideCardiff Gaol for stabbing a soldier with abayonet during theMerthyr Rising; later proven to be innocent, he is remembered as a working-classmartyr[217][218] | |
| 1833 | Samuel Lewis publishes the comprehensive, two-volume, historical and geographicalA Topographical Dictionary of Wales (the 4th edition, 1849, is online)[219] | |
| 1834 | 14 August | Poor Law Amendment Act is passed by UK government, replacing earlier poor relief legislation and fundamentally reforming thepoverty relief system in England and Wales (later repealed in 1948 at the rise of the Britishwelfare state)[220] |
| 1835 | TheSwansea Philosophical & Literary Society is established with the purpose of makingSwansea a centre of culture and scientific research[221] | |
| 1837 | Opening ofPort Talbot Docks, the first major docks in South Wales, which are named afterChristopher Rice Mansel Talbot (MP forGlamorganshire), the mainsponsor of the project[222] | |
| 1838 | The Swansea Philosophical & Literary Society is granted aroyal charter in recognition of the high quality of scientific research by its members; the society is renamed theRoyal Institution of South Wales[221] | |
| 1839 | 4 November | Newport Rising, an armed rebellion by theChartism movement against authority, led by ChartistJohn Frost[223] |
| 1840 | 16 January | Chartists John Frost,Zephaniah Williams andWilliam Jones are found guilty ofhigh treason for their part in the 1839 Newport Rising, and sentenced to death[224] (later commuted topenal transportation)[223] |
| 5 June | Joseph Brown is appointedVicar Apostolic of the Roman Catholic District of Wales[225] | |
| 8 October | Official opening ofTaff Vale Railway, the first steam-worked passenger railway in Wales[226] | |
| 28 October | Joseph Brown, Vicar Apostolic of the Roman Catholic District of Wales, is consecrated as a bishop[225] | |
| 1841 | 19 February | TheGovernor Fenner, carryingemigrants to America, collides with asteamer offHolyhead and sinks with the loss of 123 lives[227] |
| 9 March | The earliest recorded photograph in Wales, adaguerreotype ofMargam Castle, is taken byCalvert Jones[228] | |
| April | The population of Wales exceeds one million[229] | |
| 21 April | The Taff Vale Railway is extended fromAbercynon toMerthyr Tydfil[226] | |
| Opening ofSwansea Museum—the oldest museum in Wales—by the Royal Institution of South Wales[230] | ||
| 1842 | 12 April | Morgan Williams travels to the Chartist Convention in London, to present to parliament a petition signed by 36,000 people from south Wales[231] |
| May | TheRoyal Children's Employment Commission publishes its first report on the employment of children in the British coal industry, which reveals that children as young as five are working long shifts underground[232] | |
| June | TheRebecca Riots begin in earnest in south and west Wales, as local farmers and agricultural workers launch a series of attacks on tollhouses and other symbols of economic oppression[233] | |
| 10 October | Official opening of theTown Dock (later known as the "Old Dock"), the firstfloating dock facility inNewport harbour, able to accommodate the largest ships in the world[234] | |
| 1850 | National Roman Legion Museum is established inCaerleon, near Newport[235] | |
| 1851 | A bronze statue of the British military leaderSir William Nott is erected in his home town ofCarmarthen[236] | |
| 1860 | 1 December | Amajor explosion at the Black Vein Colliery inRisca, southeast Wales, claims 142 lives[237] |
| 1861 | The first officialNational Eisteddfod, as we know it today, takes place inAberdare[238] | |
| 1865 | 28 July | 153 Welsh settlers establishY Wladfa in Patagonia, Argentina[239] |
| 1867 | 8 November | Two explosions at theFerndale Colliery in theRhondda Valley claim the lives of 178 men and boys[240] |
| 1875 | 16 April | Official opening of theAlexandra Dock in Newport, following the success of the Town Dock and the subsequent increase in the volume of trade[241] |
| Cyfarthfa Ironworks is forced to close after more than 100 years of production[209] | ||
| 1878 | 11 September | Acatastrophic explosion at the Prince of Wales Colliery inAbercarn claims the lives of 268 men and boys[242] |
| 1880 | 15 July | Amajor explosion at the New Risca Colliery in Risca, southeast Wales, claims 120 lives[243] |
| 1883 | Cardiff hosts the National Eisteddfod for the first time since its modern inception in 1861[244] | |
| 1887 | TheNational Eisteddfod is held in London'sRoyal Albert Hall for the first time | |
| 1888 | The small village ofLlanwddyn, at the head of theVyrnwy valley, is flooded to create theLake Vyrnwy reservoir for supplying fresh water to Liverpool andMerseyside[245] | |
| 1890 | 6 February | An explosion at the Llanerch Colliery inAbersychan claims the lives of 176 men and boys[246] |
| 10 April | David Lloyd George returned as Liberal MP for Carnarvon Boroughs[247] | |
| 1893 | 6 June | The second of the Alexandra Docks, theSouth Dock, opens at Newport (and the original Alexandra Dock is renamed the "North Dock")[241] |
| Construction work begins on the dams for theElan Valley Reservoirs, which will supply clean drinking water toBirmingham in the EnglishWest Midlands[248] | ||
| 1894 | 23 June | An explosion at theAlbion Colliery inCilfynydd claims the lives of 290 men and boys; one of the worst mining accidents ever to occur in the United Kingdom, it is the second worst mining disaster in Welsh history (after theSenghenydd colliery disaster in 1913)[249] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1900–1920 | Peak of thecoal mining industry in Wales, with more than 600 collieries employing over 230,000 men[250] | |
| 1901 | The population of Wales exceeds two million, having doubled in 60 years.[229] | |
| 1904 | 21 July | Official opening of theElan Valley Reservoirs by KingEdward VII of England andQueen Alexandra; water starts flowing along 118 km ofgravity-driven pipeline to theFrankley Reservoir in Birmingham.[248] |
| 1905 | Construction of the originalsteel mill atPort Talbot is completed.[222] | |
| 28 October | Cardiff is grantedcity status by King Edward VII.[251] | |
| 1906 | 27 June | An earthquake strikes near Swansea, causing some minor structural damage to buildings; measuring 5.2 on theRichter scale, it is one of the most significant earthquakes to occur in the UK in the 20th century.[252] |
| 1907 | 19 March | National Museum of Wales and theNational Library of Wales is established in Cardiff and Aberystwyth respectively, by aroyal charter.[253][254] |
| 1908 | 10 August | Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) is established.[255] |
| 1911 | 13 July | Prince Edward isinvested as thePrince of Wales in an elaborate ceremony atCaernarfon Castle.[256] |
| 16 December | The1911 Coal Mines Act is passed, following a series of mine disasters in the 19th and early-20th centuries, including several in Wales; the Act amends existing laws covering safety and other aspects of the UK coal mining industry.[257] | |
| 1911–1913 | A significant prehistoric metalwork hoard, thought to have been deposited in a sacred ritual, is discovered atLlyn Fawr when the lake is partially drained for the construction of a new reservoir.[10] | |
| 1913 | 14 October | A huge explosion at the Universal Colliery inSenghenydd claims the lives of 439 men and boys; it is the worst mining disaster in the history of theBritish coalfields.[258] |
| 1914 | 18 September | The long-awaitedWelsh Church Act receivesroyal assent,[259] but will not come into force until after theFirst World War. |
| 1916 | 6 December | David Lloyd George becomesPrime Minister of the United Kingdom;[260] although not actually Welsh-born, Lloyd George grew up in Wales and he was the first Welsh-speakingBritish prime minister.[261] |
| 1919 | Final closure of theCyfarthfa Ironworks, which is dismantled nine years later.[209] | |
| 1920 | 31 March | TheWelsh Church Act 1914 takes effect, allowing the creation of theChurch in Wales which encompasses most of the Welsh part of theChurch of England.[259] The Actdisestablishes the Church in Wales and establishes theArchbishopric of Wales; the first Archbishop isAlfred George Edwards.[262] |
| 1924 | 25 September | Malcolm Campbell sets a worldland speed record of 146.16 mph (235.22 km/h) onPendine Sands,Carmarthen Bay, in hisSunbeam 350HP carBlue Bird, the first of several successful record attempts on the Sands in the 1920s.[263] |
| 1925 | 5 August | The Welshsocial-democratic political party Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (meaning "The National Party of Wales") is formed inPwllheli, later changing its name toPlaid Cymru (or simply "The Party of Wales").[264] |
| 1929 | May | The firstUrdd National Eisteddfod, a competitive youth festival of literature, music and performing arts, is held inCorwen, Denbighshire.[265] |
| 1930 | October | Closure of Newport's"Old Dock", as resources are concentrated on the modern Alexandra Dock complex[234] |
| 1934 | 22 September | A major explosion at theGresford Colliery nearWrexham claims the lives of 266 men.[266] |
| 1935 | Production ofY Chwarelwr (The Quarryman), the firstaudio feature film recorded in the Welsh language[267] | |
| 1936 | 8 September | Arson attack atRAF Penrhos "bombing school" by three members of Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru, known as theTân yn Llŷn (Fire in Llŷn) protest; the culmination of an ongoing opposition campaign, it is considered to be a defining moment in the history of the political party.[268] |
| 1936/7 | Welsh archaeologistW. F. Grimes excavates the tomb ofPentre Ifan inPembrokeshire.[5] | |
| 1942/3 | Over 150Iron Age metal objects are discovered inLlyn Cerrig Bach onAnglesey, evidently placed in the lake asvotive offerings.[269] | |
| 1947 | 1 January | TheBritish coal industry isnationalised as a result of theCoal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946; the move fails to halt the decline in the Welsh coal mining industry and the repeated closure of Welsh collieries.[250] |
| June | The firstInternational Musical Eisteddfod is held inLlangollen.[270] | |
| 1948 | 1 July | Anational open-air museum (originally called the "Welsh Folk Museum") opens to the public atSt Fagans Castle near Cardiff, theEarl of Plymouth having donated the site to theNational Museum of Wales in 1946.[271] |
| 5 July | TheNational Health Service is established in the UK[272] as one of a series ofwelfare reforms designed to guarantee basic levels of personal and social security after theSecond World War.[273] | |
| 1951 | 17 July | Official opening of the Abbey Steelworks inPort Talbot; the new steel production plant is fully operational within two years.[274] |
| 18 October | Snowdonia National Park is designated as the firstnational park in Wales; it has a total area of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) and incorporatesSnowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.[275] | |
| 1952 | 29 February | Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is designated as the second national park in Wales; noted for its spectacular coastline, the park covers a total area of 236 square miles (612 km2).[275] |
| 15 August | Television becomes available inWales for the first time following the switching on of theWenvoe transmitting station.[276][277] | |
| 23 October | Completion of Elan Valley Reservoirs project, with the official opening of theClaerwen dam by QueenElizabeth II.[278] | |
| 1953 | Further restoration work is carried out atConwy Castle[125] on lease to the UK'sMinistry of Works.[citation needed] | |
| 1955 | 20 December | Cardiff is named thecapital city of Wales.[251] |
| 1957 | 17 April | Brecon Beacons National Park is designated as the third of three national park in Wales; incorporatingPen y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales, the park covers a total area of 520 square miles (1,347 km2).[275] |
| 1958 | 14 January | Independent television comes to Wales whenTWW starts broadcasting across South Wales. Four years later,Wales West and North Television begins broadcasting to the northern areas of Wales.[citation needed] |
| 26 July | Prince Charles is namedPrince of Wales at the closing ceremony of theBritish Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.[279] (hisinvestiture is delayed until July 1969) | |
| 1960–1970 | Peak production at the Abbey Steelworks inPort Talbot: by the mid-1960s, the site has grown to be Europe's largest steel-producing complex and the largest single employer in Wales, with aworkforce of over 18,000.[274] | |
| 1961 | Closure of the original steel mill at Port Talbot; the site is demolished a few years later.[274] | |
| 17 August | The Lower Swansea Valley Project is launched,[280] with the aim of reclaiming the land that has been devastated by industrial processes over the past two centuries; the land will eventually house new developments such as theMaritime Quarter, a shopping complex, sports complex and industrial park.[281] | |
| 1962 | 4 August | TheWelsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) is established, to campaign for the right of Welsh people to use theWelsh language in every aspect of their lives.[282] |
| 1964 | 17 October | The post ofSecretary of State for Wales is created in theUK government whenHarold Wilson appoints theMP forLlanelli,Jim Griffiths, to the new role.[283] |
| 1965 | 21 October | Official opening of theLlyn Celyn reservoir, created by flooding parts of theAfon Tryweryn valley, including the village ofCapel Celyn, for supplying water toLiverpool and parts of theWirral Peninsula.[284] |
| 1966 | 14 July | Plaid Cymru gains its first seat in the UK Parliament, asGwynfor Evans wins theCarmarthen bi-election.[285] |
| 21 October | TheAberfan disaster kills 116 children and 28 adults.[286] | |
| 1967 | 27 July | Parts of theWales and Berwick Act 1746 that relate to the "dominion of Wales" are repealed by theWelsh Language Act 1967, allowing free use of the Welsh language in some political and legal proceedings.[287] |
| 1969 | 1 July | Prince Charles is invested as thePrince of Wales atCaernarfon Castle; the televised event attracts a world-wide audience of 500 million people, the largest TV audience ever gained for an event in Wales.[256] |
| 1970 | Opening ofPembrokeshire Coast Path, a designatedNational Trail inPembrokeshire, southwest Wales; mostly a cliff-top walking route, the path measures a total distance of 186 miles (299 km).[288] | |
| 1971 | 10 July | Official opening ofOffa's Dyke Path, a designatedNational Trail stretching for 177 miles (285 km) along the Wales–England border from theSevern Estuary to theIrish Sea coast, with a visitors' centre at the "half-way point" inKnighton, Powys.[289] |
| 1972 | 25 May | TheNational Slate Museum opens to the public inLlanberis, Gwynedd.[290][291] |
| 1974 | 1 April | Enactment of theLocal Government Act 1972 replacescivil parishes withcommunities.[292] |
| 1976 | Opening of theSouth Wales Miners' Museum in theAfan Forest Park, the first mining museum in Wales.[293] | |
| TheNational Wool Museum is established atDre-fach Felindre inCarmarthenshire.[294] | ||
| 1977 | 3 January | BBC Radio Cymru launches and becomes the first broadcasting outlet dedicated wholly to programmes in Welsh. The service is part-time, and it is not until the end of the decade that the station is on air for a significant number of hours each day.[citation needed] |
| 1978 | 23 November | BBC Radio Wales launches on the formerRadio 4 Welsh medium wave opt-out wavelength, initially with very limited broadcast hours; establishing a separate network is made possible by the transfer of Radio 4 to a fully UK-wide network on moving frommedium wave tolong wave.[citation needed] |
| 1979 | 1 March | In the firstWelsh devolution referendum, the electorate votes against establishing a devolved assembly.[295] |
| 1982 | 1 November | S4C begins broadcasting as Wales' fourth television channel. The channel broadcasts Welsh programming during peaktime and airs programmes fromChannel 4, which launches the next day, during off-peak hours.[296] |
| 1983 | TheBig Pit National Coal Museum opens to the public inBlaenafon, southeast Wales.[297] | |
| 1984 | 19 July | Anearthquake measuring 5.4 on theRichter scale strikes theLlŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, the largest earthquake to occur in the UK since instrumental measurements began.[298] |
| 1986 | TheCastles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the firstWorld Heritage Site in Wales.[299] | |
| 1987 | 3 April | Cardiff Bay Development Corporation is set up by the UK government to redevelop an area of Cardiff to produceCardiff Bay.[300] |
| September | Skerries Lighthouse becomes fully automated.[205] | |
| 1989 | Bodelwyddan Castle's portrait gallery exhibition is named National HeritageMuseum of the Year.[301] | |
| 1993 | 21 October | Enactment of theWelsh Language Act 1993 (c. 38) (Welsh: Deddf Yr Iaith Gymraeg 1993), an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which puts the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English language in Wales.[302] |
| 1996 | Swansea City Council savesSwansea Museum from the threat of closure.[303] | |
| 1997 | 18 September | The secondWelsh devolution referendum results in a small majority in favour of forming a devolved assembly for Wales.[295] |
| 1998 | 31 July | TheGovernment of Wales Act receives royal assent and becomes law, allowing aNational Assembly for Wales to be established following elections to be held in May 1999.[295] |
| 1999 | 6 May | In the firstNational Assembly for Wales election,Welsh Labour wins the most seats but falls short of an overall majority, resulting in aminority Labour administration.[295] |
| 27 May | QueenElizabeth II andCharles, Prince of Wales, officially open theWelsh National Assembly atCrickhowell House inCardiff Bay, a symbolic transfer of legislative powers fromWestminster to Wales.[304] | |
| 26 June | TheMillennium Stadium, the Welsh national stadium inCardiff, opens in time to host the1999 Rugby World Cup.[305] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | June | Don Wales (grandson of SirMalcolm Campbell) sets a UK electricland speed record of 137 mph (220 km/h) onPendine Sands inBluebird Electric 2.[263] |
| 30 June | Cardiff Bay Development Corporation is dissolved, after the completion of a major regeneration project atCardiff Bay.[306] | |
| 21 July | Charles, Prince of Wales officially opens theNational Botanic Garden of Wales, which has been open to the public since 24 May.[307] | |
| 14 September | Penderyn whisky begins production at its distillery in theBrecon Beacons National Park;[308] this is the first commercially available malt whisky made in Wales since the 19th century.[309] | |
| 5 October | After operating as a minority government for seventeen months, theWelsh Labour Party agrees to form acoalition government with theWelsh Liberal Democrats in theWelsh Assembly;[310] the coalition agreement is officially signed twelve days later.[295] | |
| 2 December | Blaenavon Industrial Landscape in southeast Wales is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the secondWorld Heritage Site in Wales.[311] | |
| Glyndwr's Way, a long-distance footpath in mid Wales, is grantedNational Trail status; the footpath runs for 135 miles (217 km) in an extended loop throughPowys betweenKnighton andWelshpool.[312] | ||
| 2001 | 1 June | Official opening ofCardiff Bay Barrage, one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe.[313] |
| July | Welsh communities pressure groupCymuned (meaning "Community") is launched at a meeting inMynytho on theLlŷn Peninsula;[314] the group aims to protect and foster the Welsh language and way of life.[315] | |
| 16 September | ActressSiân Phillips unveilsa memorial statue toCatrin Glyndŵr in London, to commemorate "Glyndwr Day".[316] | |
| 2002 | June | TheNewport medieval ship is discovered on the west bank of the River Usk during construction of Newport'sRiverfront Arts Centre.[317] |
| 5 August | DrRowan Williams,Archbishop of Wales, is honoured by admission to theGorsedd of bards.[318] | |
| July/August | Closure and demolition ofEbbw Vale Steelworks, resulting from the collapse of the international steel market.[319] | |
| 16 October | TheBanc Ty'nddôl sun-disc is recovered during archaeological excavations on a Bronze Age site atCwmystwyth in central Wales.[320] | |
| 2 December | DrRowan Williams is confirmed as the nextArchbishop of Canterbury[321] (to be enthroned in February). | |
| 2003 | The North Wales edition of theDaily Post separates from theLiverpool Daily Post to become a standalone title.[322] (Liverpool edition has since ceased) | |
| 29 March | The Cob atPorthmadog is purchased by theWelsh Government and theroad toll is discontinued after 192 years.[323] | |
| 1 May | The secondNational Assembly for Wales election is held, resulting in a minority government byWelsh Labour who choose not to enter into another coalition agreement.[295] | |
| 19 June | HRH Prince William of Wales visitsBangor andAnglesey, to mark his 21st birthday (on 21 June).[324] | |
| 15 August | A memorial toOwain Lawgoch, descendant ofLlywelyn the Great, is unveiled atMortagne-sur-Gironde, France.[325] | |
| November | A £1.1 millionDTI grant is awarded to Energybuild, the private owner of theAberpergwm Colliery in theNeath Valley, to upgrade facilities and allow new coal reserves to be accessed.[326] | |
| 21 November | North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm, Wales' firstoffshore wind farm, commences operation.[327] | |
| 2004 | 1 March | Penderyn whisky is officially launched in the presence ofHRH Prince Charles; demand is so high that the whisky sells out almost immediately.[308] |
| 13 March | The market town ofCowbridge, one of the smallest and oldestwalled towns in Wales, celebrates the 750th anniversary of itsroyal charter.[328] | |
| 26 November | Official opening of theWales Millennium Centre, a largearts centre inCardiff Bay.[329] | |
| 2005 | 30 January | Cardiff'sDavid Morgan store, the largest independentdepartment store in Wales, closes after 125 years of trading.[330] |
| 26 May | Big Pit National Coal Museum wins the Gulbenkian Prize forMuseum of the Year 2005.[331] | |
| 13 July | Prince Charles opens a new building to house theNarrow Gauge Railway Museum atTywyn Wharf railway station in Gwynedd.[332] | |
| October | A Welsh language version ofScrabble is marketed for the first time.[333] | |
| 17 October | TheNational Waterfront Museum opens to the public in Swansea'sMaritime Quarter.[334] | |
| 19 October | Liverpool City Council issues a formal apology for theflooding of theAfon Tryweryn valley to create theLlyn Celyn reservoir in 1965.[284] | |
| 1 December | Outlying properties in theNedd Fechan valley, nearYstradfellte in southernPowys, are connected tomains electricity, probably the last community in the whole of England and Wales to be wired.[335] | |
| 2006 | 1 March | The new National Assembly building opens in Cardiff Bay; designed byRichard Rogers and costing £67 million, it is known as theSenedd (the Welsh word for "parliament").[295] |
| 25 July | Government of Wales Act 2006 comes into effect, conferring additional law-making powers on theNational Assembly for Wales.[336] | |
| 2007 | 1 April | Prescription charges are abolished byNHS Wales;[295] theWelsh Government is the first devolved government of the UK to remove these charges. |
| 3 May | The thirdNational Assembly for Wales election is held, resulting in arelative majority forWelsh Labour, whilePlaid Cymru make considerable gains.[295] | |
| 27 June | Labour and Plaid Cymru announce their intention to form a coalition government, and enter into theOne Wales agreement which includes holding a referendum on full law-making powers for the Welsh Assembly.[295] | |
| 2008 | 25 January | Official closure ofTower Colliery in theCynon Valley,South Wales, the last remaining deepcoal mine to be worked in the whole of Wales.[337] |
| 12 June | Cardiff Castle opens a new interpretation centre at a cost of £6 million.[338] | |
| 12 September | Completion of theMeridian Tower in Swansea'sMaritime Quarter; the Tower is the tallest building in Wales, standing at a height of 107 metres (351 feet).[339] | |
| 20 November | AM and Heritage MinisterAlun Ffred Jones becomes the first person to use the Welsh language as a representative of the UK government at aEuropean Union meeting inBrussels.[340] | |
| 2009 | 27 June | ThePontcysyllte Aqueduct is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the thirdWorld Heritage Site in Wales.[341] |
| 22 October | TheSt David's Centre in Cardiff re-opens asone of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom after its multimillion-pound extension and the reconstruction of the surrounding area.[342] | |
| 2010 | 18 March | Marriage (Wales) Act 2010 brings theChurch in Wales' marriage regulations into line with those of theChurch of England.[343] |
| 31 March | Digital switchover is completed in Wales when the analogue transmissions atWenvoe are switched off.[344] Consequently, S4C begins broadcasting solely in Welsh and the channel no longer carries Channel 4 programmes due to Channel 4 becoming available full-time across all of Wales for the first time.[345] | |
| 12 May | Cardiff-born Conservative MPCheryl Gillan is confirmed asSecretary of State for Wales in the new UK government, the first woman to hold the post.[346] | |
| 25 May | TheLearned Society of Wales is launched at theNational Museum in Cardiff.[347] | |
| 24 June | Barry-bornJulia Gillard becomes Australia's first female prime minister.[348] | |
| 2011 | 3 March | A furtherWelsh devolution referendum is held, which results in the Welsh Assembly receiving full law-making powers on all matters in the twenty fields (subject areas) where it has jurisdiction.[295] |
| 5 May | In the2011 National Assembly for Wales election,Welsh Labour wins exactly half of the contested seats and regains overall power in the Assembly.[295] | |
| 9 July | TheNational Museum of Art opens in Cardiff, created with £6.5 million of private and Welsh Government funding.[349] | |
| 1 October | Wales becomes the first UK nation to introduce a minimum 5p charge onsingle-useplastic carrier bags.[295] | |
| 2012 | April | New visitor centre opens atConwy Castle.[350] |
| 26–27 April | QueenElizabeth II makes a two-day visit to South Wales as part of herDiamond Jubilee tour; the visit includes engagements inLlandaff,Margam,Merthyr Tydfil,Aberfan,Ebbw Vale andGlanusk Park.[351] | |
| 5 May | Opening of theWales Coast Path, a long-distance walking route that closely follows the Welsh coastline for 861 miles (1,386 km).[352] | |
| 25 May | TheOlympic Torch starts its five-day tour of Wales, as part of the2012 Summer Olympics torch relay; Gareth John, the chairman ofDisability Sport Wales, is the first person to bring the torch onto Welsh soil.[353] | |
| 25 July | The first events of theLondon 2012 Summer Olympics take place in Cardiff: two matches in thewomen's football competition are held at theMillennium Stadium.[354] | |
| 12 November | TheNational Assembly for Wales (Official Languages) Act 2012 receivesroyal assent; the first bill to be passed under the assembly's new legislative powers, it gives the Welsh and English languages equal status in the assembly.[355] | |
| 31 December | Rowan Williams retires from the position ofArchbishop of Canterbury.[356] | |
| 2013 | February | TheBrecon Beacons National Park is grantedInternational Dark Sky Reserve status, to restrict artificiallight pollution above the park; it is the first such area in Wales, the second in the UK and only the fifth worldwide.[357] |
| 2 July | The Welsh Assemblybrings into law a presumed consent ("soft opt-out")organ donation scheme,[358] (officially adopted in December 2015). | |
| 12 September | TheChurch in Wales passes a bill that will allowwomen to be consecrated as bishops.[359] | |
| 14 October | On the centenary ofBritain's worst-ever mining disaster, the Welsh National Mining Memorial is unveiled within a dedicated garden atSenghenydd, in memory of all those who have died in the Welsh mines.[258] | |
| 2014 | Excavations carried out by theClwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, on parts ofOffa's Dyke nearChirk, place construction in the period 541–651 AD, with lower layers dating to as early as 430 AD, suggesting that the Dyke may have been a long-term project by severalMercian kings.[56] | |
| 29–30 April | Queen Elizabeth II visits South Wales, two years after her previous visit for the Diamond Jubilee; her two-day itinerary includesNarberth,Picton Castle,Pembroke Dock,Ystrad Mynach andLlantwit Major.[360] | |
| 4–5 September | The2014 NATO Summit is held at theCeltic Manor Resort in Newport; it is the first NATO summit to be held in the UK since 1990 and the first held anywhere in the UK other than London.[361] | |
| 2015 | 15 April | After a £12 million restoration project,Cardigan Castle reopens as a heritage attraction and events venue.[362] |
| 25 September | Ford approves a new £181 million range of petrol engines to be built at itscar manufacturing plant inBridgend, South Wales, securing 750 skilled jobs at the facility; production of the new engines will begin in 2018.[363] | |
| 1 December | Wales becomes the first nation in the UK to introduce a presumed consent scheme for organ donation, whereby adults are regarded asconsenting to become donors unless they have specifically opted out.[364] | |
| 2016 | January | TheMillennium Stadium, home of Welsh rugby, is renamed the Principality Stadium.[305] |
| 23 June | In theUnited Kingdom European Union membership referendum, a 52.5% majority of voters in Wales vote to leave theEU, with 47.5% voting to remain.[365] | |
| 2017 | 22 February | TheBritish government confirms that MPs will be permitted in future to use the Welsh language during meetings of theWelsh Grand Committee.[366] |
| 8 November | Tata Steel announces its intention to invest £30 million in itsPort Talbot Steelworks, in a bid to safeguard the jobs of 4,000 employees at the plant, following plans to merge with German steel manufacturerThyssenKrupp.[367] | |
| 2018 | 20 March | Planning permission is granted byNeath Port Talbot Council to restart coal production atAberpergwm Colliery, the last survivingdrift mine in Wales, after operations were previously suspended in July 2015.[368] |
| 2 July | Prince Charles attends a lowkey ceremony to rename theSecond Severn Crossing as the "Prince of Wales Bridge", a move which is widely disliked by the Welsh public.[369] | |
| 2019 | January | Completion of a major blast furnace upgrade at the Port Talbot Steelworks, after a £50 million investment by Tata Steel; this follows years of uncertainty at the plant, with particular concerns over the UK's withdrawal from theEuropean Union.[370] |
| 6 June | Ford announces that itsBridgend Engine Plant will close in September 2020, with the loss of 1,700 jobs, blaming reduced global demand for theFord GTDi 1.5-litre engine.[371][372] | |
| 3 July | St Fagans National Museum of History wins theMuseum of the Year award for 2019.[373] | |
| 2020 | 13 January | The Welsh Government approves the construction of a new bridge across theRiver Dyfi atMachynlleth, at a cost of £46 million.[374] |
| 24 January | The Slate Landscape of North West Wales is nominated by the UK government for consideration as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[375] | |
| 28 February | Authorities confirm the first case ofCOVID-19 in Wales, an individual who recently returned from holiday in Italy.[376] | |
| 18 March | The Welsh Government announces that all schools in Wales will close from the end of the week as a measure to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in Wales;[377] the school closure lasts until the end of June.[378] | |
| 12 April | The new, temporary,Dragon's Heart Hospital opens at Cardiff'sMillennium Stadium to admit its first COVID-19 patients.[379] | |
| 6 May | The National Assembly for Wales becomes "Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament" and its members become "Members of the Senedd" (MS) (Aelodau o'r Senedd (AS) in Welsh).[380] | |
| 25 September | Ford's Bridgend Engine Plant closes for decommissioning, ending 40 years of engine production at the site.[381] | |
| 2021 | 28 July | The Slate Landscape of North West Wales is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the fourthWorld Heritage Site in Wales.[382] |
| 2022 | 8 September | Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes KingCharles III of the United Kingdom following the death of his mother, QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom.[383] |
| 9 September | William, the elder son of King Charles III, is confirmed as the newPrince of Wales. His wifeCatherine becomesPrincess of Wales.[384] | |
| 16 September | King Charles III pays his first visit to Wales as monarch, to meet political leaders and attend a religious service.[385] |
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