:1972 in Wales

{{For|United Kingdom incumbents|1972 in the United Kingdom#Incumbents}}

• Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Thomas{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/feb/06/conservatives.uk|title=Obituary|website=The Guardian|date=6 February 2008}}
• Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor{{cite book|author=Gerald Parsons|title=The Growth of Religious Diversity - Vol 2: Britain From 1945 Volume 2: Controversies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MbSLmy-a23sC&pg=PA106|date=20 June 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-13628-3|pages=106}}
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
• Tilsli (outgoing){{cite book|author=Meic Stephens|title=The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00meic|url-access=registration|date=April 1986|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00meic/page/589 589]|isbn=978-0-19-211586-7}}
• Brinli (incoming){{cite book|author=Meic Stephens|title=The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00meic|url-access=registration|date=April 1986|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00meic/page/523 523]|isbn=978-0-19-211586-7}}

• 1 January – Welsh rugby captain John Dawes is made an OBE in the New Year Honours List.{{cite book|author=Ross Reyburn|title=John Dawes: The Man who changed the world of Rugby|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2g3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT96|date=26 July 2013|publisher=Y Lolfa|isbn=978-1-84771-614-9|pages=96}}
• 30 January – Opening to rail traffic of the new Britannia Bridge linking Anglesey with mainland Wales (following the destruction of the previous bridge by a fire).{{cite book|author=Peter E. Baughan|title=North and Mid Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rrASAAAAMAAJ|year=1991|publisher=David St. John Thomas|isbn=978-0-946537-59-4|page=33}}
• March/April – The "Miners' Tramway" underground at Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog, opens to the public.
• 3 May – Leslie Harvey, guitarist of Stone the Crows, is fatally electrocuted while performing at Swansea's Top Rank Suite.
• 13 September – Hypermarkets make their debut in the United Kingdom some twenty years after debuting in France, when French retail giant Carrefour opens a hypermarket in Caerphilly.{{cite journal|title=The Hypermarket — Gold mine or white elephant|url=http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1671773&|journal=International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management|publisher=MCB|volume=1|issue=6|pages=42–44|doi=10.1108/eb017761|url-access=subscription}}
• 26 October – Passage of the Local Government Act 1972, which will reorganise and simplify local government in Wales and Monmouthshire from 1974.
• 11 December – Rhoose Airport is opened by The Duke of Edinburgh.{{cite book|author=Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons|title=Papers by command|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwg6AQAAIAAJ|year=1972|publisher=HMSO|page=44}}
• date unknown
• Sir Morien Morgan becomes Master of Downing College, Cambridge.
• The island of Flat Holm is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
• The communities of Machynys and Bwlch y Gwynt cease to exist, following the closedown of local industry; the residents are moved into Llanelli.{{cite web|last=Fisk|first=Stephen|title=Abandoned Communities - Machynys|date=June 2009|url=http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/machynys.html|accessdate=2009-08-05}}
• Llyn Brianne regulating reservoir on the River Towy is completed; its dam is the UK's tallest, standing at a height of 300 ft (91 m).{{cite book|author1=British Dam Society. Conference|author2=British Dam Society|title=The Prospect for Reservoirs in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the Tenth Conference of the BDS|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9pGE4ifoHKoC&pg=PA303|year=1998|publisher=Thomas Telford|isbn=978-0-7277-2704-6|pages=303}}

• Writer James Morris becomes Jan Morris.

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Haverfordwest)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Dafydd Owen, "Preselau"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair|title=Winners of the Chair|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|date=17 November 2019}}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands, "Dadeni"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/crown-winners|title=Winners of the Crown|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|date=17 November 2019}}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Dafydd Rowlands, "Ysgrifau yr Hanner Bardd"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-prose-medal|title=Winners of the Prose Medal|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|access-date=7 November 2019}}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Urien Wiliam

• Alexander Cordell – The Fire People
• A. H. Dodd – Life in Wales
• Emyr Humphreys – National Winner
• Richard Jones The Tower is Everywhere
• Roland Mathias – Absalom in the Tree
• Edith Pargeter – A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury
• Will Paynter – My Generation (autobiography)
• Goronwy Rees – A Chapter of Accidents
• Ifor Williams – The beginnings of Welsh poetry

• Marion Eames – Y Rhandir Mwyn{{cite book|author=Meic Stephens|title=Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WoMYAAAAIAAJ|year=1998|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-1383-1|page=195}}
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Eira Mawr
• Bobi Jones – Allor Wydn{{cite book|author=Europa Publications|title=International Who's Who of Authors and Writers 2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phhhHT64kIMC&pg=PA279|year=2003|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-1-85743-179-7|pages=279}}
• David Tecwyn Lloyd – Lady Gwladys a Phobl Eraill
• Gerallt Lloyd Owen – Cerddi'r Cywilydd{{cite book|author=Felicia Hughes-Freeland|title=Ritual, Performance, Media|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E89ogiLrZ-kC&pg=PR10|date=16 December 2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-71382-0|pages=10}}
• Kate Roberts – Gobaith a Storïau Eraill

• Gwyn Thomas – Amser Dyn sef Darnau o Einioes{{cite book|title=Bibliotheca Celtica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ArTfAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=The Library|page=385|isbn = 9780901833792}}

• Badfinger – Straight Up (album)
• John Cale – The Academy in Peril (album)
• Dafydd Iwan – Yma Mae 'Nghân (album)
• Mary Hopkin – Live At The Royal Festival Hall (album)
• Tom Jones – Close Up (album)

• The film of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood appears, with Richard Burton, Glynis Johns, Ryan Davies and many other Welsh stars.
• Hywel Bennett stars with Hayley Mills in Endless Night.

• The Song We Sing Is About Freedom

• Gwrando ar fy Nghan with singer Heather Jones
• Teliffant with Myfanwy Talog

• Kenneth Griffith's reputation is underlined with a four-part documentary series about the Boer War, Sons of the Blood.
• Anthony Hopkins wins acclaim for his first starring role on television in BBC2's adaptation of War and Peace.
• Glyn Houston appears as Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey, in the first of several TV serials based on the stories of Dorothy L. Sayers.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jul/08/glyn-houston-obituary|title=Glyn Houston Obituary|date=8 July 2019|author=Anthony Hayward|website=The Guardian|access-date=25 May 2022}}

• Chess – Wales competes in the World Chess Olympiad at Skopje, Yugoslavia.
• Cricket – Tony Lewis captains England on his Test debut in Delhi, India.
• Rugby union
• 25 March – Derek Quinnell makes his debut for Wales against France.
• 31 October – Llanelli RFC defeat the New Zealand All Blacks 9–3 at Stradey Park in front of 26,000 supporters.
• The Welsh Sports Association is established.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Richard Meade{{cite news |title=BBC Wales Sport Personality winners |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/wales/20670643 |access-date=29 July 2021}}

• 27 January
• Nathan Blake, footballer
• Wynne Evans, tenor
• March - Helen Raynor, dramatist and screenwriter
• 23 March – Joe Calzaghe, boxer{{cite book|author=Joe Calzaghe|title=No Ordinary Joe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GD6dlJDc8SkC&pg=PA24|date=1 April 2010|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-4090-6452-7|pages=24}}
• 10 April – Chris Corcoran, comedian
• 18 April – Mike Bubbins, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, presenter and podcaster{{Cite web|title=Mike Bubbins on Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/mikebubbins/status/1383661660569698305|access-date=2021-04-18|website=Twitter|language=en}}
• 7 June – Sian Lloyd, television news presenter
• 5 July – Nia Roberts, actress
• 20 August – Scott Quinnell, rugby player{{cite book|author=Scott Quinnell|title=The Hardest Test|publisher=Headline|year=2012|ISBN=9781909335462}}
• 24 August – Jason Bowen, footballer
• 4 September – Guto Pryce, musician
• 23 September – Julian Winn, cyclist{{cite web|url=http://m2002.thecgf.com/results/default.asp?ath=8367|title=Julian WINN - Wales [WAL]|website=Commonwealth Games 2002|access-date=7 November 2021}}
• 3 October – Josie d'Arby, actress and television presenter
• 4 November – Tim Vincent, television presenter
• 27 December – Colin Charvis, rugby player{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/41_426.php|title=Wales at the Rugby World Cup 1999|publisher=Wales Rugby Union|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212080550/http://www.wru.co.uk/41_426.php|access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=2009-02-12}}

• 17 January – Stan Davies, footballer, 73
• 4 February – Sir Charles Robert Harington, chemist, 74{{Cite journal | last1 = Himsworth | first1 = H. | authorlink1 = Harold Percival Himsworth| last2 = Pitt-Rivers | first2 = R. | doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1972.0009 | title = Charles Robert Harington. 1897-1972 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 18 | pages = 266–308 | year = 1972| pmid = 11615748 | s2cid = 31136079 }}
• 25 February – S. O. Davies, politician, 85{{cite book|last= Griffiths|first= Robert|author-link=Robert Griffiths (politician)|title=S. O. Davies: A Socialist Faith|publisher= Gomer Press|location= Llandysul, Dyfed|year= 1983|isbn= 978-0-85088-887-4|page=295}}
• 27 February – Will James, dual-code rugby player, 69
• 7 March – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 62
• 10 March – Gwynfor Davies, cricketer, 63
• 20 March – Dudley Lloyd-Evans, First World War flying ace, 76 or 77{{cite web |url= http://places.wishful-thinking.org.uk/GLS/Boddington/MIs.html |title=Some Memorial Inscriptions, Boddington, Gloucestershire |first=Rosemary |last=Lockie |work=places.wishful-thinking.org.uk |year=2015 |access-date=13 May 2015}}
• 28 March – James Edward Nichols, geneticist, 69{{cite book|author=Royal Society of Edinburgh|title=Year Book of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q-wrAQAAMAAJ|year=1971|publisher=Royal Society of Edinburgh|page=46}}
• 10 April – Ormond Jones, footballer, 61
• 28 May – The Duke of Windsor, Prince of Wales 1910–1936), 77
• 14 June (at Goathurst) – Glyn Simon, Archbishop of Wales (1968–71), 69
• 9 July – Sir Henry Morris-Jones, doctor, soldier and politician, 87{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s8-MORR-HEN-1884|title=Morris-Jones, John Henry (1884-1972), Liberal/National Liberal politician|author=John Graham Jones|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=12 February 2021}}
• 10 July – Emrys Jones, actor, 56 (heart attack){{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/11/archives/emrys-jones.html|title=Emrys Jones, a British stage and film actor, was found dead...|date=July 11, 1972|website=New York Times|access-date=February 12, 2021}}
• 12 August – Reg Anderson, cricketer, 58
• 28 September – Tom Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 75?
• 19 October
• David Hughes, opera singer, 47 (heart failure)
• Fred Keenor, footballer, 78
• 6 November – Hilary Marquand, economist and MP, 70{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s6-MARQ-ADA-1901|title=Marquand, Hilary (1901-1972), economist and Labour politician|author=John Graham Jones|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=16 October 2019}}
• 13 November – Glyn Prosser, dual-code rugby player, 64
• 30 November – Frank Evans, dual-code international rugby player, 75
• 4 December – Lynn Ungoed-Thomas, politician and judge, 68{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s8-UNGO-LYN-1904|title=Ungoed-Thomas (Arwyn) Lynn (1904-1972), Labour politician|author=John Graham Jones|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=28 December 2019}}
• unknown date
• Sam Davies, Wales international footballer, 77 or 78{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher=Tony Brown |year=2012 |isbn=978-1905891610 |location=Nottingham |page=76}}
• Lillian Griffith, sculptor, 94 or 95

• 1972 in Northern Ireland

{{reflist}}

Wales

Wales

Category:1972 in Europe

Category:1970s in Wales