1953 in Wales

• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
• Cynan (outgoing)
• Dyfnallt (incoming)

File:Royal Badge of Wales (1953).svg with its 1953 augmentation of honour]]

• 7 March – A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held by the London Welsh Association in the streets of London.
• 11 March – The Royal Badge of Wales is granted an augmentation of honour including the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ("The red dragon inspires action").{{cite book|title=Flags of the World|url=https://archive.org/details/flagsofworld00carr|url-access=registration|first=H. Gresham|last=Carr|publisher=Warne|location=London|year=1961|page=66}}
• 1 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.{{cite book|title=The London Gazette|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zKUviGiCi0gC|year=1953|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|page=2978}}
• 9 July – Elizabeth II makes her first visit to Wales since her 2 June Coronation.
• 10 July – The royal tour of Wales concludes with a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle and visits to the National Eisteddfod site at Rhyl, Wrexham and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.{{cite news|work=The Times|location=London|date=1953-07-11|page=6|issue=52671|title=The Queen At Eisteddfod: Visit To Wales Concluded, Caernarvon Castle Ceremony}}
• 2 December – Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
• date unknown
• The Royal College of General Practitioners is established in Wales.
• Goronwy Rees becomes Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.{{cite book|author=Goronwy Rees|title=Goronwy Rees: Sketches in Autobiography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTVbAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-1676-4|page=xvi}}
• Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.{{cite book|title=The London Gazette|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyNE5EmXecAC|year=1953|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|page=3677}}

• July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.{{cite book|author=Everett Aaker|title=Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXAkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2001|date=16 May 2017|publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers|isbn=978-1-4766-2856-1|pages=308}}
• date unknown
• Thomas Parry (later Sir Thomas) becomes head of the National Library of Wales.
• Waldo Williams leaves the Baptist denomination and becomes a Quaker.{{cite book|author=James Nicholas|title=Waldo Williams|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XVc8AAAAIAAJ|year=1975|publisher=University of Wales Press; the Welsh Arts Council|page=65|isbn=9780708305850}}
• Robert Frank photographs a Glamorgan mining village for U.S.Camera.
• Susan Williams-Ellis joins her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in his work on the village of Portmeirion.

• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.{{cite book|title=Wilson library bulletin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8JFTAAAAIAAJ|year=1952|page=60 | last1=Kunitz | first1=Stanley | last2=Loizeaux | first2=Marie Duvernoy }}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair|title=Winners of the Chair|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|access-date=7 November 2019}}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"{{cite web|url=https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/crown-winners|title=Winners of the Crown|website=National Eisteddfod of Wales|access-date=7 November 2019}}
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld{{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}}

• Jack Jones – Time and the Business{{cite book|author1=Keri Edwards|author2=Welsh Arts Council|title=Jack Jones|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1zc8AAAAIAAJ|year=1974|publisher=University of Wales Press [for] the Welsh Arts Council|page=64|isbn=9780708305522}}
• Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis
• Cysgod y Cryman{{cite book|title=Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W1ApAQAAIAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University|page=439|isbn = 9780674023840}}
• Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll{{cite book|title=Bwletin Y Bwrdd Gwybodau Celtaidd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hylKAAAAYAAJ|year=1987|publisher=University of Wales Press|page=56}}
• David John Williams – Hen dŷ ffarm{{cite book|author=Eurwyn Wiliam|title=The Historical Farm Buildings of Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sR5PAAAAYAAJ|year=1986|publisher=John Donald Publishers|isbn=978-0-85976-136-9|page=184}}

• 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.

• Rachel Thomas and Clifford Evans co-star in Valley of Song.
• Richard Burton stars in The Robe.
• Rachel Roberts stars in The Limping Man.

• 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.{{cite book|author=British Broadcasting Corporation|title=Annual Report and Accounts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjVa8GzgFjwC|year=1954}}
• January – Edward Williamson, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, broadcasts a lecture on Henry Vaughan on BBC radio.
• 9 December – In the UK Parliament, the Postmaster General, Earl De La Warr, confirms that none of the first independent television stations will be located in Wales.{{cite book|author=Jamie Medhurst|title=A History of Independent Television in Wales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YXyvBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA25|date=1 June 2010|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-2308-3|pages=25–}}

• 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.
• Teledu i Blant (children's programme)
• Telewele (children's programme)

• The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.{{cite book|title=Radio Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EN9RAQAAMAAJ|year=1953|publisher=G. Newnes|page=24}}

• Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.{{cite book|title=The British Archer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huiBVPMpWV8C|year=1957|page=241}}
• Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.

• 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans{{cite book|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-6000022|title=John, Very Rev. Jeffrey Philip Hywel|website=UK Who's Who|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U6000022 |isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 |access-date=7 November 2019}}
• 15 March - Alan Couch, footballer
• 11 April – Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
• 12 April – Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991–1992 and 1997–2005
• 26 April – Andy Secombe, voice actor and fantasy novelist
• 8 June – Bonnie Tyler, singer{{cite book|author=Fred Bronson|title=The Billboard book of number one hits|url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn00bron|url-access=registration|year=1985|publisher=Billboard Publications|isbn=978-0-8230-7522-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn00bron/page/n18 1980]}}
• 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge'REES, Eleri Mair', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U32133 accessed 11 Oct 2017]
• 11 July – Nigel Rees, footballer
• 20 July – Dave Evans, singer
• 10 August – Gillian Elisa, actress, singer and comedian
• 2 September – Keith Allen, comedian and actor
• 28 October – Phil Dwyer, footballer
• 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, actor, comedian and television presenter{{cite book|author1=David Housham|author2=John Frank-Keyes|author3=Tiger Television|title=Funny business|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-47-IdcrRsUC|date=30 November 1992|publisher=Boxtree|isbn=978-1-85283-792-1|page=170}}
• Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
• Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–

• 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92{{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=12}}
• 7 March – Jack Williams, Victoria Cross recipient, 66
• 20 March – Fred Parfitt, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 24 March – Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales 1910–1936, queen consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952, 85{{citation|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/24/newsid_2785000/2785265.stm|title=1953: Queen Mary dies peacefully after illness|website=BBC News|access-date=29 May 2018}}
• 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48{{cite book|author1=Idris Davies|author2=Dafydd Johnston|title=The complete poems of Idris Davies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bY1aAAAAMAAJ|year=1994|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-1272-8|page=xxix}}
• 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90{{cite book|author=Royal Society of Health (Great Britain)|title=Journal: Supplement to V. ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mjErAQAAMAAJ|year=1953|page=466}}
• 2 May – Thomas Mardy Rees, author, 81/82{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s2-REES-MAR-1871|title=Rees, Thomas Mardy (1871-1953), Independent minister, historian and author|author=Evan David Jones|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=12 March 2019}}
• 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74{{cite book|author=Ray Desmond|title=Dictionary Of British And Irish Botanists And Horticulturists Including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=thmPzIltAV8C&pg=PA456|date=25 February 1994|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-0-85066-843-8|pages=456}}
• 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s2-JONE-MAR-1877|title=Jones, Elizabeth Mary ('Moelona'; 1877-1953), teacher and novelist|author=David Jenkins|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=12 March 2019}}
• 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
• 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77{{Cite ODNB |id=63825 |title=Rachel Barrett |first=Caroline |last=Morrell}}
• 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/dylan-thomas/pages/death.shtml |title= Dylan Thomas: Death of a Poet |publisher= BBC Wales |date= 6 November 2008|access-date= 15 July 2012}}
• 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83{{cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s2-DAVI-GLY-1870|title=Davies, John Glyn (1870-1953), scholar, songwriter and poet|author=Robert Geraint Gruffydd|website=Dictionary of Welsh Biography|publisher=National Library of Wales|access-date=12 March 2019}}
• 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83{{cite web|title=Atkins, Sir Ivor Algernon (1869–1953) |url =http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30493|last=Moore|first=Jerrold Northrop|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=May 2008 |access-date=2009-02-05}}
• 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77{{cite book|author=J. Lawrence Mitchell|title=T. F. Powys: aspects of a life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hy8eAQAAIAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Brynmill Press Ltd|isbn=978-0-907839-86-6|page=163}}
• 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71

• 1953 in Northern Ireland

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1953 In Wales}}

Wales

Category:1953 in Europe

Category:1950s in Wales