1955 in Wales

← 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1955 in Wales → 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1955 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1955 to Wales and its people.

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

• 17 March – In the Wrexham by-election, brought about by the death of Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Richards, who had held the seat since 1935, James Idwal Jones holds the seat for Labour with a majority of nearly 11,000 votes.^[1]
• 18 April–28 May – Charles Evans leads the mountaineering expedition that conquers Kanchenjunga.^[2]
• 6 August – The Usk Reservoir is completed, contributing to Swansea's water supply.^[3]
• 31 October – The A48 road bridges over the River Neath at Briton Ferry (six years in the building) are officially opened by the Minister of Transport.
• 3 December – The Farmers' Union of Wales breaks away from the National Farmers Union.^[4][5]
• 20 December – Cardiff becomes the official capital of Wales.^[6]

• The Gold Medal for Architecture is introduced to the National Eisteddfod.^[7]
• Bertrand Russell retires to Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyndeudraeth.
• The Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music is founded.^[8]

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Pwllheli)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwilym Ceri Jones, "Gwrtheyrn"^[9]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Ffenestri"^[10]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – M. Selyf Roberts, Deg o'r Diwedd^[11]
• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Award for Hear and Forgive.

• Kingsley Amis – That Uncertain Feeling^[12]
• (Edwin) Stuart Evans – Elegy for the Death of a Clown (poem)
• Elisabeth Inglis-Jones – The Story of Wales
• T. E. Lawrence – The Mint (posthumously published)^[13]
• Dylan Thomas – A Child's Christmas in Wales (posthumously published)^[14]
• R. S. Thomas – Song at the Year's Turning (poems)^[15]
• Richard Vaughan – Son of Justin

• Gwilym Thomas Hughes – Ei Seren tan Gwmwl
• Robert Lloyd – Y Pethe^[16]
• Louie Myfanwy Thomas writing as Jane Ann Jones – Plant y Foty^[17]

• Saunders Lewis – Siwan

• Grace Williams – Penillion

• Stanley Baker plays Richmond in Laurence Olivier's film of Richard III.
• The Constant Husband, starring Rex Harrison, with opening scenes filmed on location at New Quay and Aberaeron in 1954, includes some Welsh dialogue.

• The Welsh Home Service becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe

• January – First televised Welsh-language play, Cap Wil Tomos

• Cricket – Wilf Wooller becomes an England Test selector.
• Rugby Union
  • 22 January – Ken Jones becomes Wales's most capped player (36) in a game against England.
  • 12 March – Wales beat Ireland 21–3 at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
  • 26 March – Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the fourth time this decade.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Disley^[18]

• 22 January – Clive Griffiths, footballer (died 2022)
• 30 January – Ian Edwards, footballer
• 23 February – Howard Jones, English-born musician of Welsh parentage^[19]
• 4 March – Joey Jones, footballer^[20]
• 17 March – John David Lewis, political scientist and historian
• 2 May – Peter Sayer, footballer
• 17 May – Nicola Heywood-Thomas, broadcaster and journalist (died 2023)
• 22 May – Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, politician
• 9 June – Alun Pugh, politician^[21]
• 21 June (in Sunderland) – Janet Ryder, politician^[22]
• 22 June – Green Gartside (Paul Julian Strohmeyer), musician
• 2 August – Alun Davies, biologist
• 3 August – Gordon Davies, footballer
• 4 August – Steve Jones, marathon runner
• 3 September – Eirian Williams, snooker referee
• 29 September – Gareth Davies, rugby player
• 12 October – Brian Flynn, footballer and manager^[23]
• 17 November – Amanda Levete, architect
• 7 December – Mihangel Morgan, author and academic^[24]
• date unknown
  • Aled Gruffydd Jones, social historian, Librarian of National Library of Wales
  • Martyn Jones, painter^[25]

• 5 January – Douglas Marsden-Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 61
• 25 January – Robert Dewi Williams, teacher, clergyman and author, 84
• 26 January – Gwilym Davies, Baptist minister, 75
• 29 January – Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician, 89
• 19 March – Tom Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 2 April – Billy O'Neill, Welsh international rugby player, 76
• 27 April – Ambrose Bebb, author, 60^[26]
• 19 May – Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player, 75
• 21 June – Eric Evans, rugby union player and administrator, 61^[27]
• 13 July – Ruth Ellis, murderer, 28 (hanged)^[28]
• 28 August – Sir Lewis Lougher, businessman and politician, 83^[29]
• 28 September – Lionel Rees, airman, Victoria Cross recipient, 71
• 14 October – Harry Parr Davies, songwriter, 41^[30]
• 15 October – Thomas Jones (T. J.), founder of Coleg Harlech, 85^[31]
• 30 October – Bert Dauncey, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 1 November – Ronw Moelwyn Hughes, politician, 58
• 15 December – V. E. Nash-Williams, archaeologist, 58^[32]
• date unknown – Melbourne Johns, munitions worker and wartime secret agent, 55

• 1955 in Northern Ireland