This article is about the significance of the year 1961 to Wales and its people.
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- 16 February – The BP Explorer, a loaded tanker barge bound for Sharpness from Swansea, turns over in the Severn Estuary.
- 17 February – The BP Explorer is seen bouncing upside down through the recently wrecked (October 26, 1960) Severn Railway Bridge. Her crew of five men are killed.[1]
- 1 October – Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff, hosts the first-ever broadcast of the long-running national BBC Television series Songs of Praise.[2]
- 8 November – In a referendum on Sunday opening of public houses, the counties of Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Caernarfonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire all vote to stay "dry".[3]
- 9 November – Rosemarie Frankland, originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, wins the Miss World title.[4]
- 19 November – During construction of the Severn Bridge three men fall into the river. A rescue boat crewed by two men sets sail from Chepstow, not knowing that the three men have been picked up safely by a ferry, the Severn Princess. Two empty tanker barges coming down from Sharpness collide with the rescue boat, which has no navigation lights. One member of the rescue boat crew is drowned.
- The Llyn Celyn reservoir is constructed in the valley of the River Tryweryn in North Wales to provide water for Liverpool, destroying the village of Capel Celyn.
- Gwynfor Evans becomes president of the Celtic League.
- Formation in Pontypridd of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith entirely of native Welsh Baháʼís.[5]
Welsh-language television
- Ambell i Gan
- Pwt o'r Papur
- Gair o Gyngor
English-language television
- 24 January – Tarki Micallef, professional footballer
- 7 May – Phil Campbell, rock guitarist[12]
- 5 July – Gareth Jones ("Gaz Top"), television presenter
- 7 July – Steve Brace, long-distance runner
- 8 August – Simon Weston, war hero[13]
- 18 August – Huw Edwards, newsreader[14]
- 30 August – Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, charity worker and Labour peer
- 29 September – Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (in Barry)[15]
- 20 October – Ian Rush, footballer
- 1 November – Nicky Grist, racing driver
- date unknown
- 14 January – William Bowen, Army officer, 62[17]
- 18 January – William Jones, poet, 64[18]
- 2 February – Kate Williams Evans, suffragette, 84[19]
- 10 February – Tom Beynon, Presbyterian minister and historian, 74[20]
- 18 April – John Evans, Labour politician, 85
- 30 April – Charles Williams, academic, 55
- 28 June – Huw Menai, poet, 74[21]
- 3 July – Albert Jenkin, Wales international rugby player, 88
- 14 August – Alec James, cricketer, 72
- 31 October – Augustus John, painter, 83[22]
- 20 November – Edwin Thomas Maynard, Wales international rugby player, 83
- 4 December – John Pugh, Archdeacon of Carmarthen, 76
- date unknown – Llewelyn Davies, footballer, 79/80
A Library of Literary Criticism: Modern British Literature. Ungar. 1975. p. 588.
"Julia Gillard". Britannica Presents 100 Women Trailblazers. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
Gomer Morgan Roberts. "Tom Beynon". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2016.