1996 in Wales

← 1995 1994 1993 1996 in Wales → 1997 1998 1999
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1996 in The United Kingdom England Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1996 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – Diana (until 28 August divorce)
• Secretary of State for Wales – William Hague
• Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • John Gwilym Jones (outgoing)
  • Dafydd Rowlands (incoming)

Events

• 15 February - The Sea Empress, an oil tanker, runs aground off Milford Haven, causing devastation to the west Wales coastline.
• 1 April - The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 comes into force, creating 22 unitary authorities.
• 3 April - The first EuroHowl is held in Aberystwyth, Wales.
• 29 June - The Prince's Trust concert in Hyde Park, London is attended by 150,000 people.
• 18 July - Howard Hughes is sentenced to life imprisonment at Chester Crown Court for the rape and murder of 7-year-old Sophie Hook at Llandudno 12 months previously. The trial judge recommends that Hughes, 31, should never be released.
• 28 August - The Prince and Princess of Wales, are formally divorced at the High Court of Justice in London, the first time in history that a Prince of Wales has successfully gone through a divorce. By negotiation, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales is restyled, Diana, Princess of Wales.
• November - The Owain Glyndŵr Society is founded.
• Michael German is awarded the OBE for his public and political service.
• The Church in Wales ordains its first women priests.
• South Wales Constabulary changes its name to South Wales Police.

Arts and literature

• Sir Anthony Hopkins opens the Cliff Tucker Theatre at the University of Wales, Lampeter.
• Alice Thomas Ellis is dismissed as a columnist on the Catholic Herald newspaper because of her attack on the reputation of the late Archbishop Derek Worlock.
• Steve Balsamo stars in a West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Awards

• Glyndŵr Award - Jan Morris

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ffairfach, near Llandeilo)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - R. O. Williams
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - David John Pritchard
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language: Nigel Jenkins, Gwalia in Khasia
  • Welsh language:

• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Eirug Wyn, Smoc Gron Bach

New books

• Ron Berry - This Bygone
• Ruth Bidgood - The Fluent Moment
• Gillian Clarke - The Whispering Room
• Keith Kissack - The Lordship, Parish and Borough of Monmouth
• Howard Marks - Mr Nice
• Kenneth Morris - The Dragon Path
• Tim Rishton - Liturgisk orgelspill

Film

• Prince Valiant filmed at Gwrych Castle.

Music

• John Cale - Walking on Locusts
• Peter Maxwell Davies - The Doctor of Myddfai (opera)
• Gillian Elisa - Rhywbeth yn y Glas.
• Karl Jenkins - Diamond Music
• Donna Lewis - Now in a Minute
• Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy Logic.

Broadcasting

• The Broadcasting Act 1996 changes the funding formula for S4C.

Welsh-language television

• Heno (Welsh-language news programme, broadcast until 2001)

English-language television

• Barry Welsh is Coming
• In the Blood, presented by Steve Jones

Sports

Football

• The Welsh Football Trust is founded.
• Llansantffraid F.C. win the Welsh Cup and are offered sponsorship by Total Network Solutions.

Births

• 25 February - Laura Halford, Rhythmic gymnast

Deaths

• 16 January - Dai Ward, footballer, 61
• 7 March - Aled Eames, historian, 74
• 11 March - Sir Granville Beynon, physicist, 81
• 14 March - Dewi Bebb, Wales rugby union player, 57
• 16 March - Harry Peacock, Wales rugby union player, 87
• 14 April - Mervyn Levy, artist and critic, 81
• 27 July - Billy Rees, footballer, 72
• 5 September - Clem Thomas, rugby player, 67
• 24 September - I. E. S. Edwards, Egyptologist, 87
• 26 October - Huw Owen, theologian and academic, 69
• 10 November - Dafydd Orwig, politician and academic, 68
• 9 December
  • Diana Morgan, playwright and screenwriter, 86
  • Ivor Roberts-Jones, sculptor, 83
• 29 December - Pennar Davies, poet and theologian, 85
• date unknown
  • Thomas Nathaniel Davies, artist and teacher
  • Thomas David Frank Evans, WWII prisoner-of-war
  • Harry Hanford, footballer, 88