1952 in Wales

• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Cynan

• 10 January – An Aer Lingus Douglas DC-3 aircraft on a flight from London to Dublin crashes in Snowdonia, killing twenty passengers and three crew members.{{cite journal|first=A. H.|last=Yates|title=Airflow over Mountains|journal=Flight|date=1953-01-02|volume=63|issue=2293|pages=2–3|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1953/1953%20-%200002.html|accessdate=2012-04-23}}{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=White|title=60th anniversary of Aer Lingus disaster|url=http://www.caernarfonherald.co.uk/caernarfon-county-news/local-caernarfon-news/2012/01/26/60th-anniversary-of-aer-lingus-disaster-88817-30197737/|newspaper=Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald|date=2012-01-26|accessdate=2012-04-23}}
• 29 February – The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is established.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnp.org.uk/blog/celebrating-70-years-pembrokeshire-coast-national-park|title=Celebrating 70 Years of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park|website=Campaign for National Parks|language=en|access-date=3 March 2024}}
• June – Pennar Davies is inaugurated as Principal of Swansea Memorial College.{{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/165 165]|isbn=978-0-19-211586-7 }}
• 5 July – Six miners are killed in a mining accident at Point of Ayr colliery in north Wales.
• 11 August – A Royal Air Force Avro Anson trainer aircraft crash lands on the track of the Snowdon Mountain Railway killing its three aircrew.{{cite news|title=3 R.A.F. Men Killed On Flight To Cardiff|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|date=1952-08-11|page=6}}
• 3 September – Somali-born Mahmood Hussein Mattan is the last person to be hanged in Cardiff Prison, having been convicted of the 6 March murder of Lily Volpert in Tiger Bay. This becomes the first case considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and in 1998 the conviction is ruled to have been wrongful.{{cite book|first=Roy|last=Davies|title=Crogi ar Gam? Hanes Llofruddiaeth Lily Volpert|location=Llandysul|publisher=Gwasg Gomer|year=2000|isbn=1859029000}}
• 8 October – David Grenfell becomes Father of the House following the retirement of Hugh O'Neill.{{cite web |title=North Antrim 1950-1970 |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/dna.htm |website=www.ark.ac.uk |access-date=2 June 2021}}
• 19 October – A small Welsh republican group, Y Gweriniaethwyr, make an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the water pipeline leading from the Claerwen dam in mid Wales to Birmingham.{{cite web|first=Gethin|last=Gruffydd|title=Welsh Republican Movement 1946–1956: Time Line|url=http://awnms.blogspot.com/2007/02/welsh-republican-movement-1946-1956.html|work=Alternative Welsh Nationalist Archive|date=13 February 2007|accessdate=2010-09-08}}
• 23 October – Opening of Claerwen reservoir, the first engagement carried out in Wales by Elizabeth II since her accession as Queen of the United Kingdom.{{cite news|title=Claerwen Dam Opened By The Queen: Birmingham's Link With Wales|newspaper=The Times|location=London|date=1952-10-24|page=4|issue=52451}} She first sets foot in Wales as monarch at Llandrindod railway station.{{cite web|title=The Station|url=http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=5371&L=0|work=Powys Built Heritage|accessdate=2013-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809093629/http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=5371&L=0|archive-date=2012-08-09|url-status=dead}}
• date unknown – Lake Bala bursts its banks and floods many parts of the Vale of Edeirnion.{{cite book|title=Reference Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-j0ro22GZU8C|year=1994|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-1234-6|page=256}}

File:Pierre-Auguste Renoir 089.jpg

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Aberystwyth)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – John Evans, "Dwylo"{{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 – withheld{{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 – Owen Elias Roberts, "Cyfrinachau Natur"{{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}}

• A. H. Dodd – Studies in Stuart Wales{{cite book|title=The Agrarian History of England and Wales: 1500-1640, edited by Joan Thirsk|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RbO-7UQ83mwC&pg=PA120|year=1967|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-06617-4|pages=120}}
• Jack Jones – Lily of the Valley
• Bertrand Russell – The Impact of Science on Society
• Richard Vaughan – Moulded in Earth
• Raymond Williams – Drama from Ibsen to Eliot

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Cyn Oeri'r Gwaed{{cite book|author=T. Robin Chapman|title=Islwyn Ffowc Elis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94xiAAAAMAAJ|date=20 July 2000|publisher=University of Wales Press|page=18|isbn=978-0-7083-1655-9 }}
• T. J. Morgan – Y Treigladau a’u Cystrawen{{cite book|author=Professor of Sociolinguistics Peter Trudgill|title=Language in the British Isles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liY4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA277|date=17 May 1984|publisher=CUP Archive|isbn=978-0-521-28409-7|pages=277}}
• John Dyfnallt Owen – Rhamant a Rhyddid{{cite book|author=John Dyfnallt Owen|title=Rhamant a rhyddid|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z1EnAQAAIAAJ|year=1952|publisher=Llyfrau Cyrmaeg}}
• R. Williams Parry – Cerddi'r Gaeaf{{cite book|author=Kenneth O. Morgan|title=Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980|url=https://archive.org/details/rebirthofnationw0000morg|url-access=registration|year=1981|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-821736-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rebirthofnationw0000morg/page/364 364]}}

• Saunders Lewis – Gan Bwyll{{cite book|title=Who was who: A Companion to Who's Who, Containing the Biographies of Those who Died|url=https://archive.org/details/whowaswho197119800lond|url-access=registration|year=1981|publisher=A. & C. Black|isbn=978-0-7136-3336-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/whowaswho197119800lond/page/446 446]}}

• Gwendoline Davies bequeaths a large part of her art collection to the National Museum of Wales, including Renoir's La Parisienne.{{cite book|title=Colour and Light: Fifty Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Works at the National Museum of Wales|first=Ann|last=Sumner|year=2005|publisher=National Museum of Wales|location=Cardiff|isbn=0-7200-0551-5|page=120}}

• David Wynne – Symphony no. 1

• Dylan Thomas records a collection of five of his poems, including Fern Hill and Do not go gentle into that good night, along with the short prose A Child's Christmas in Wales for Caedmon Audio in New York.

• Richard Burton co-stars in My Cousin Rachel, his first U.S. film.

• 12 March – Tommy Cooper's TV series, It's Magic, begins its run.
• 15 August – Wenvoe transmitting station begins broadcasting 405-line VHF BBC Television to south Wales and the west of England on Band I channel 5 (66.75 MHz).{{cite book|last=Pawley|first=Edward|year=1972|title=BBC Engineering 1922–1972|page=374|publisher=BBC Publications|isbn=0-563-12127-0}}
• 26 August – Hit radio series Welsh Rarebit transfers to television.

• Rugby union – Wales win their fifth Grand Slam.
• Summer Olympics – Harry Llewellyn wins a gold medal in the team showjumping competition, riding Foxhunter.

• 9 January – Mike Watkins, Wales international rugby captain
• 24 January – Tony Villars, footballer{{Cite book | title = The Who's Who of Cardiff City | first = Dean | last = Hayes | publisher = Breedon Books | year = 2006 | page=193 | location=Derby | isbn= 1-85983-462-0}} (d. 2020)
• 13 February – Graham Drury, motorcycle speedway rider (d. 2024){{cite web|title=Graham Drury|url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/miscellaneous/graham-drury/|work=British Speedway|date=2024-01-26|accessdate=2024-01-31}}
• 12 March – Chris Needs, radio presenter (d. 2020)
• 22 March – David Jones, politician{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.45567|title=Jones, Rt Hon. David (Ian), (born 22 March 1952), PC 2012; MP (C) Clwyd West, since 2005|journal=Who's Who|year=2007}}
• 3 April – Philip Jenkins, academic and Mastermind champion
• 16 April – Bob Humphrys, sports broadcaster (d. 2008)
• 21 April – Cheryl Gillan, politician, Secretary of State for Wales (d. 2021){{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2066869.stm |title=Cheryl Gillan |date=18 October 2002 |website=BBC |access-date=8 April 2019}}
• 5 May – Andrew Davies AM, politician
• 3 June – David Richards, entrepreneur and businessman
• 12 June – Jed Williams, jazz journalist
• 12 August – Robert Minhinnick, poet{{cite book|author=David T. Lloyd|title=Writing on the Edge: Interviews with Writers and Editors of Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tnkf8bL6BIAC&pg=PA154|year=1997|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=90-420-0248-4|pages=154}}
• 7 September – Irene James AM, politician
• 18 October – Hilary Bevan Jones, television producer
• 17 November – David Emanuel, fashion designer{{cite book|author=Richard Harrison Martin|title=Contemporary Fashion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWIjAQAAIAAJ|year=1995|publisher=St. James Press|isbn=978-1-55862-173-2|page=142}}
• 20 November – Karen Sinclair, politician
• date unknown – Menna Elfyn, poet

• 8 January – Arthur Lewis, photographer, 66England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995
• 3 March – John Emlyn Emlyn-Jones, shipowner and politician, 63{{cite book|title=Who's who in Commerce and Industry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KlmAAAAMAAJ|year=1953|publisher=Marquis Who's Who}}
• 15 April – Idris Lewis, conductor and composer, 62{{cite DWB |last=Williams |first=Huw |title=Lewis, Idris (1889–1952), Musician |id=s2-LEWI-IDR-1889 |accessdate=11 August 2018 |date=2001}}
• 25 April (in Broadstairs) – Sir John Milsom Rees, surgeon, 86{{cite book|title=The Illustrated London News|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqgcAQAAMAAJ|year=1952|publisher=Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited}}
• 14 May – Elizabeth Jane Lloyd, Mrs Louis Jones, academic, 63{{cite DWB|id=s2-JONE-LOU-1889|title=Jones, Elizabeth Jane Louis (born Elizabeth Jane Lloyd; 1889-1952), scholar|author=Elizabeth Eirliw Louis (Bethan) Jones|fewer-links=yes|access-date=19 April 2021}}
• 31 May – Ifor Leslie Evans, academic, 55{{cite DWB|id=s2-EVAN-LES-1897|title=EVANS, IFOR (IVOR) LESLIE|author=Edward Lewis Ellis|fewer-links=yes|access-date=3 May 2017}}
• 22 August – Llewela Davies, pianist and composer, 81England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1952
• 25 August – James Kitchener Davies, poet, dramatist and nationalist, 50{{cite DWB|id=s2-DAVI-KIT-1902|title=Davies, James Kitchener (1902-1952), poet, dramatist and nationalist|author=Gwilym Tudur|fewer-links=yes|access-date=15 October 2019}}
• 23 October – Windham Wyndham-Quin, 5th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, politician, 95{{cite book|author1=Franklin Henry Hooper|author2=Walter Yust|title=Britannica book of the year|url=https://archive.org/details/britannicabookof00yust|url-access=registration|year=1953|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc.}}
• 24 October – Ivor Llewellyn Brace, judge, 54{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=FkY9y2C%2B6cFQf9BbX9NSYQ&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=16 August 2019|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}
• 28 October (in Sydney) – Billy Hughes, London-born Prime Minister of Australia, 90{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18288355 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=35,836 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 October 1952 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• 9 November – George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis, 88{{cite book|author=National Library of Wales|title=Annual Report Presented by the Council to the Court of Governors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gi0jAQAAIAAJ|year=1951|publisher=National Library of Wales|page=11}}
• 11 November – Sir William Llewelyn Davies, national librarian, 65{{cite DWB|id=s2-DAVI-WIL-1887|title=Davies, Sir William (Llewelyn) (1887–1952), librarian|year=2001|last=Tibbott|first=Gildas|fewer-links=yes|access-date=19 April 2021}}
• 28 November – Ernie George, Wales international rugby player, c.81
• 2 December – Tom Jackson, Wales international rugby player, 82
• 15 December (in London) – Sir William Goscombe John, sculptor, 92{{cite DWB|id=s2-JOHN-GOS-1860|title=John, Sir William Goscombe (1860-1952), sculptor and medallist|author=Paul Joyner|fewer-links=yes|access-date=15 October 2019}}
• 26 December (in London) – Lyn Harding, actor, 85{{cite book|title=John Willis' Theatre World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o1kZAQAAIAAJ|year=1952|publisher=Crown Publishers|page=225}}
• 31 December – John Cledwyn Davies, politician, 83{{cite book|author1=Michael Stenton|author2=Stephen Lees|title=Who's who of British Members of Parliament: A Biographical Dictionary of the House of Commons Based on Annual Volumes of Dod's Parliamentary Companion and Other Sources|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQcWAQAAIAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Harvester Press|isbn=978-0-85527-325-5|page=91}}

• 1952 in Northern Ireland

{{reflist}}

Wales

Category:1952 in Europe

Category:1950s in Wales