1999 in Wales

• First Secretary – Alun Michael (from 12 May) • Secretary of State for Wales • Alun Michael (until 28 July) • Paul Murphy • Archbishop of Wales • Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph (retired) • Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (elected) • Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales • Dafydd Rowlands (outgoing) • Meirion Evans (incoming) ==Events==

• January • Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain Iceland. • Opening of the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay, Wales's first 5-star hotel. • February – Outbreak of meningitis in the Pontypridd area. • March – West Wales and the Valleys is designated an Objective 1 region within the European Community. • 6 May – 1999 National Assembly for Wales election, the first to be held. • 10 May – The Queen attends a gala concert in Cardiff Bay to celebrate the opening of the Welsh Assembly. • 12 May – The National Assembly for Wales meets in Cardiff for its first session. • 19 May – 'Robbie', probably the last pit pony to work in the U.K. is retired at Pant y Gasseg drift mine, near Pontypool in the South Wales coalfield. • June – Eight children in north Wales are taken ill with E. coli poisoning. • 27 June – The Clydach murders: four members of the same family are found bludgeoned to death. • July – Bryncelyn Brewery begins brewing. • December – Hyder cuts 1000 jobs after being forced to make cuts in their charges for electricity and water. • 19 December – Charlotte Church makes her debut as a television actress in Heartbeat. • Main construction work on Cardiff Bay Barrage completed. ==Arts and literature==

• Cysgod y Cryman by Islwyn Ffowc Elis (1953) is voted the most significant Welsh language book of the 20th century. • Sir Harry Secombe suffers a second stroke, which forces him to give up his television career. • Mary Hopkin joins The Chieftains on their UK tour. • Dick Francis: A Racing Life, an unauthorised biography, suggests that his books were substantially written by his wife Mary. • Painter Kyffin Williams is knighted for his services to the arts. • September – Swansea Grand Theatre becomes the base for the Ballet Russe company. Awards • Cardiff Singer of the World – Anja Harteros • Glyndŵr Award – Gillian Clarke • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwenallt Lloyd Ifan • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Ifor ap Glyn • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Sonia Edwards • Wales Book of the Year: • English language: Emyr Humphreys – The Gift of a Daughter • Welsh language: R. M. Jones – Ysbryd y Cwlwm: Delwedd y Genedl yn ein Llenyddiaeth • Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Ann Pierce Jones – Fflamio New books English language • Richard Booth – My Kingdom of Books • John Davies – The Making of Wales • Paul Ferris – Infidelity • Patrick Hannan – The Welsh Illusion • Craig Thomas – Slipping into Shadow Welsh language • Grahame Davies – Sefyll yn y Bwlch • Mair Wynn Hughes – Hen Ŵr y Môr New drama • Greg Cullen – Paul Robeson Knew My Father (play) Music • Gillian Elisa – Haul ar Nos Hir (album) • Gorky's Zygotic Mynci – Spanish Dance Troupe (album) • Karl Jenkins – The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace ==Film==

• Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars in Entrapment. Welsh-language films • Cymer Dy Siâr • Porc Pei (Pork Pie) • Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan Gruffudd ==Broadcasting==

• May – Huw Edwards begins presenting the ''BBC Six O'Clock News''. Welsh-language television • Y Palmant Aur (drama) • Yno o hyd (documentary) • Tri Tenor – Gala concert with performances by Welsh tenors Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rhys Meirion and Timothy Richards • Catrin Finch (documentary) • Ponteifi (sitcom) English-language television • Sea of Troubles (documentary) • House of the Future (documentary by Malcolm Parry) • Barry Welsh is Coming (winner of the BAFTA Wales Award for Light Entertainment) • Belonging (BBC Wales) • The Big Picture (presented by Peter Lord) ==Sport==

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jackson • Football • UWIC Inter Cardiff are Welsh Cup winners after beating Carmarthen Town on penalties. • Barry Town win their fourth successive League of Wales title. • Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Penrhiwceiber Rangers (Division 2) & Caerleon (Division 3). • Flexsys Cefn Druids are champions of the Cymru Alliance. • AFC Llwydcoed and Garden Village are promoted to the Welsh Football League. • Rugby • The Rugby World Cup is hosted by Wales, with the final being held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, on 6 November. The winning team is Australia. • Snooker • Mark Williams wins the Welsh Open tournament in Cardiff. • Mark Williams wins the UK Championship for the first time, defeating Matthew Stevens in an all-Welsh final. ==Births==

• 12 January – Tyler Roberts, footballer • 29 April – Callum Scott Howells, actor and singer • 23 June – Cai Evans, rugby player • 15 October – Ben Woodburn, footballer ==Deaths==

• 3 February (in London) – Alfred Janes, artist, 87 • 8 February – Meredith Edwards, actor, 81 • 16 February – Don Hayward, Wales and British Lions international rugby player, 73 • 17 February – John Lansdown, computer graphics pioneer, 70 • 4 April – Raymond Davies Hughes, RAF airman and broadcaster, 75 • 11 April – Alan Evans, darts player, 49 • 6 May – Johnny Morris, television presenter, 82 • 12 July – Guy Griffiths, pilot, 84 • 16 July – Barri Jones, classical scholar and archaeologist, 63 • 5 September – Ivor Roberts, former TWW presenter, 74 • 22 September – Clive Jenkins, trade union leader, 73 • 24 October – Howard Griffiths, screenwriter, 64 • 15 November – Sir Harry Llewellyn, equestrian champion, 88 • 27 November – Ernest Zobole, artist, 72 • 6 December – Gwyn Jones, writer, 92 • 19 December – Desmond Llewelyn, actor, 85 (car accident) • 23 December – Eirene White, politician, 90 ==See also==