The following chronology covers the main elements of the history of Glamorgan mainly for the period up to 1960 with a few later events. It is intended to be of use to people researching their family history in the area, in order to provide a background to their research and maybe some pointers as to why their ancestors lived where they did or moved in or out of the area. It includes the dates of foundation of many of the main organisations in the county, the opening of older churches (but not the original parish churches) & chapels (mainly before 1850), Theatres, Cinemas, Old Inns & Hotels & Industrial Companies. I realise that it is not exhaustive and undoubtedly people who know the county will find that things that they might have included are not in my list. If anyone wants anything added I shall be pleased to consider it if they can give me the details. It is my hope that I will, in any case, be able to make additions in time.
The chronology can be read in conjunction with my Cardiff & Vale Chronology, and some events will be found in both.
A Wales timeline is already available via the Glamorgan Help pages and I have produced a Chronology of British History which is available on my website.
In order to find a specific event without reading through the whole list please use the "find" facility of your browser. In this way you should be able to find any references to a particular year or subject.
THE INDEX - PERIOD 1850 TO 1960+
By 1850 = 40% of Britain's iron output was being produced in South Wales
1850 = Poor Law Industrial Training School for Orphaned Children set up in Cardiff
1850 = Cardiff Water Company established to provide water to the town
1850 = Coal Mines Act set resulted in appointment of four Inspectors of Mines to enforce the safety laws in the British Coalfields
1850 = Charles Street Wesley Chapel, Cardiff built
18 June 1850 = opening of South Wales Railway - first train from Cardiff to Swansea
2 August 1850 = Last mail coach ran from Cardiff. Replaced by South Wales Railway mail service.
1851 = Admiralty Report declared that South Wales stem coal was the most suitable for use by the Royal Navy. Start of rapid expansion of steam coal industry
1851 = Census of Religious Worship shows the growth of non-conformity in Wales
1851 = Vale of Neath Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
1851 = Re-founding of Swansea Grammar School and new buildings built at Mount Pleasant, Swansea
1851 = Death of George Insole, Coal Owner. Buried St.Margarets, Roath
1851 = Rail link via South Wales Railway between Gloucester, Newport,Cardiff and Swansea
1852 = re-opening of Bute Iron Mines, Llantrisant after long period of closure
1852 = opening of Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Melingriffith, Whitchurch
1852 = Swansea North Dock opened
1852 = Dyffryn Colliery disaster killed 64 men
1853 = Merthyr Union Workhouse built (now St.Tydfil's Hospital)
1853 = opening of new Town Hall in Cardiff
1853 = St.Johns, Canton opened as chapel of Llandaff Cathedral
1853 = Walter Coffin retired from active control of his businesses to go into politics
1853 = Perforated postage stamps first used in Cardiff
1853 = Electric telegraph between Cardiff and Swansea established
1853 = extension of South Wales Railway to Milford Haven, Pembs.
1853 = completion of the River Taff diversion in Cardiff
1853 = Proposal for a second dock at Cardiff as the Bute West Dock was too small to accommodate the newer, larger ships
1854 = Spillers & Browne set up in Cardiff as corn and flour merchants
1854 = Whilst loading coal at Cardiff Docks Russian & Turkish ships nearly started attacking each other (effect of the Crimean War)
1854 = Richard Scudamore, Richard Greaves & Nicholas Strong established a Methodist Meeting Room in Patrick Street, Cardiff Docks
1854 = Crimea Colliery, Ystalyfrera opened
1854 = Rhymney Railway Company incorporated to develop the mineral traffic of the Rhymney Valley
By 1855 = Danks, Venn & Sanders operating sloops between Cardiff and Newport, Swansea, Bristol, Gloucester Worcester, Bewdley and Stourport
By 1855 = Morgan & Sanders set up a rope-making factory at Cardiff West Dock
By 1855 = the Queens Hotel in operation in Cardiff
1855 = start of replacement of individual coal ownership by Limited Liability Companies
1855 = Revival of the National Eisteddfod
1855 = Cambrian Deaf & Dumb Asylum, Swansea founded
1855 = Mines Act required further safety measures in coalmines
1855 = re-opening of Mwyndy Iron Mines, Llantrisant after long period of closure
1855 = Charles Street English Congregational Chapel, Cardiff opened
1855 = Ely Racecourse, Cardiff established
20 June 1855 = Sir Robert Price sold the Glamorgan Iron & Coal Co., Tondu to John Brogden & Sons of Sale, Manchester
20 November 1855 = Sir Robert Price of Tondu bankrupt
1855 = opening of Bute East Dock, Cardiff
1855 = Horse buses in operation in Cardiff to a regular half-hour schedule
1855 = Treherbert Colliery sunk on the Marquis of Bute's land. Beginning of town of Treherbert, Rhondda
1855 = First train of Rhondda steam coal sent from Treherbert to Cardiff. Beginning of the Rhondda as the major coal mining area of South Wales
1855 = Establishment of the Sailors Home in Stuart Street, Cardiff by the Marchioness of Bute
1855 = Cymmer Colliery disaster killed 114 men
13 July 1856 = Disaster at Cymmer Colliery killed 114 men
1856 = Experimentation with the Bessemer Process for the manufacure of steel at the Dowlais ironworks. But unsuccessful because of the presence of sulphur & phosphorus in the local ores.
17 September 1856 = Loudon Square English Wesleyan Methodist Church, Cardiff opened.
1857 = Cardiff Times Newspaper first published
1857 = South Wales Instiute of Engineers founded.
1857 = Llandaff Cathedral re-opened
1857 = Tredgarville developed by the Tredegar Estate for its workers
4 January 1857 = last public execution at Cardiff (John Lewis of Merthyr Tydfil for murdering his wife)
By 1858 = Machen Forge established at Blackweir, Llandaff
1858 = Thomas Willliam Booker-Blakemore died. Melin Griffith & Pentyrch Works inherited by his sons
1858 = Penydarren Iron Works, Merthyr Tydfil closed
1858 = Rhymney Railway extended to Cardiff
1858 = opening of Jewish Synagogue, East Terrace, Cardiff
1859 = Swansea South Dock built
1859 = Acquisition of land at Wedal Farm, Cathays for a new Cardiff Municipal Cemetery
1859 = Brecon & Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway incorporated
14 September 1859 = full completion of Bute East Dock, Cardiff
1860 - 1890 = great expansion of Cardiff timber business
By 1860 = Some 50 collieries (mainly in the Aberdare & Merthyr Tydfil areas) had offices in the docks area of Cardiff
Bef 1860 = Crown Patent Fuel Company set up at Blackweir, Cardiff for manufacture of coal briquettes
1860 = Zoar Welsh Baptist Chapel, Cardiff opened
1860 = Swansea Union Workhouse built at Mount Pleasant, Swansea
1860 = Offices of Taff Vale Railway opened in Crockerton, Cardiff
1860 = Beufort Tinplate Works, Llansamlet established by John Jones Jenkins (Lord Glantawe)
1860 = Cardiff Pilotage Board established under the Bristol Channel Pilotage Act
1861 = Eagle Foundry established in Llandaff
1861 = Dock opened at Briton Ferry
1861 = Swansea Prison built in Oystermouth Road
1862 = Llwynypia No 1 Colliery sunk
1862 = Neath & Brecon Railway incorporated
1862 = Llwynypia Terrace built beginning development of town of Tonypandy, for workers at Llwynypia Pit
By 1863 = Cardiff Rope Works set up in Grangetown by Verity & Coward
By 1863 = Gloucester Wagon Co works set up at Cardiff docks
By 1863 = John Bland & Co.set up its timber business in Cardiff
1863 = Blaenclydach & Llwynypia (bituminous coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
1863 = Llanharry Iron Mine operating
1863 = first Cardiff built steam ship (The Lady Bute) launched by the Bute Docks Steam Shipbuilding Co.
1864 = Bodringallt, Llwynypia (steam coal) & Pentre Collieries, Rhondda opened
1864 = Cwmclydach & Penygraig (Bitumnous coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
2 September 1864 = Neath & Brecon Railway opened
4 November 1864 = Glamorgan County Asylum opened at Angleton, Bridgend
1865 = Tydraw, Tynewydd, Abergorchy, Parc & Maendy Collieies, Rhondda opened
1865 = Beginning of town of Treorchy, Rhondda to house workers from Abergorchy Colliery
1865 = Science and Art School established in Cardiff
1865 = Marquis of Bute appointed William Burges as architect for the restoration of Cardiff Castle
1865 = Penarth Graving Dock set up by John Batchelor
1865 = Whiteford Point Lighthouse, Llanmadoc built to mark the channel to Llanelli harbour
1866 = Hamadryad Hospital for Seamen established at Cardiff
1866 = first General Post Office building in Cardiff built in St.Mary Street
1866 = Cardiff Chamber of Commerce established
1866 = Crown Copper Works, Skewen converted to Zinc smelting
1867 = Parliamentary Reform Act lead to working-class householders in towns having the right to vote
1867 = death of Walter Coffin, Rhondda Coal Owner. Buried Bridgend Unitarian Church.
1867 = Pit disaster at Ferndale Colliery killed 178 men
1868 = Radical Nonconformist Liberals won many Parliamentary seats in Wales. Beginning of Liberal domination of Welsh politics
8 December 1868 = John Stuart, 3rd Marquis of Bute, Lord Cardiff converted to Roman Catholicism
1868 = Cardiff Union Poor House built in Canton Road, Cardiff
1869 = amagamation of Bristol Steam Navigation Co and Cardiff Steam Navigation Co to operate daily passenger and cargo service betwen Cardiff and Bristol
1869 = Merthyr Vale Colliery started
1869 = Further disaster at Ferndale Colliery killed 60
1869 = Mumbles Railway, Swansea incorporated - Mumbles to Oystermouth
1869 = Dinas (Bituminous coal) Colliery & Blaenrhondda (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1869 = Completion of restoration of Llandaff Cathedral by John Prichard & Seddon
1 May 1869 = Western Mail first published
1870 = Education Act. Primary education started to become available to most children
1870 = Gelli (Bituminous coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1870 = Dare (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
About 1870 = choirs, bands and sporting activities began to come to imprtance in South Wales Valleys
1870 = Education Act established State Education system.
1870 = Williams, Foster & Co. & Vivian & Son took over White Rock Copper Works, Swansea for production of lead & silver
1870s = Iron Mining started at Trecastle, Llanharry
1871 = Amalgamated Association of Miners established in South Wales
1871 = Nant Hir Reservoir built at Hirwaun (completed 1875)
1872 = Glynmoch & Trealaw (Bituminous coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
1872 = Clydach Vale No1, Llwynypia Nos 4 & 5, & Fernhill (steam coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
1872 = Mines Act made it law that Colliery Managers must be trained and achieve a Manager's Certificate. Duties of managers, under-managers, overmen, & firemen laid down. Increase in numbers of Inspectors of Mines.
1873 = Formation of South Wales Coalowners Association
1874 = Remodelling of Catell Coch, Tongwynlais commenced
1874 = Clydach Vale No 2 (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1874 = The Rest, Porthcawl built as a convalescent home for coalminers
1874 = opening of the Roath Basin at Cardiff
1875 = Committee set up to decide wage levels of South Wales miners
1875 = Establishment of Bristol Channel Yacht Club at Mumbles, Swansea
1875 = ironworks established in Grangetown, Cardiff
1876 = Western Colliery, Ogwr Valley opened
1876 = Tynybedw (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
8 November 1876 = Disaster at Ferndale Colliery killed 178 men
1877 = Lady Margaret, Cymmer, Gelli & Eastern (steam coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
1877 = Locomotives first used on MumblesRailway, Swansea
1877 = first public telephone service in Cardiff
1878 = Tower Colliery, Hirwaun opened by the Bute Trustees
1879 = Fernhill Colliery, Rhondda opened
1879 = Melingriffith Works went into liquidation
1879 = Pandy (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
By 1880 = Glamorgan Wagon Works set up at East Moors, Cardiff
By 1880 = Bristol Wagon Works set up a branch at East Moors, Cardiff
1880 = Ely (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1880 = Inital opening of Cardiff Arms Park
1880 = start of development of Anthracite Coalfield in South Wales
1880 = Cardiff Shipowners Association formed
1880s = Melingriffith Works taken over by Cardiff Iron & Tinplate Co. Pentyrch Iron Works closed down
By 1881 = opening of the Cardiff Junction Dry Dock
1881 = Establishment of Penarth Yacht Club
1881 = Welsh Sunday Closing Act. Public Houses closed on Sundays
1881 = Dinas, Bertie, Trefor & Hafod (steam coal) Collieries, Rhondda opened
1881 = Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea built (largely on the site of Port Tennant)
28 June 1881 = birth of John Crichton-Stuart, eldest son of the 3rd Marquis of Bute, Lord Cardiff by Gwendolen Mary (Howard)
1882 = Bessemer Process came into use at Dowlais Ironworks.
1 May 1882 = opening of new Cardiff Free Library
1883 = Llantrisant & Cowbridge lost their Borough status
1883 = Founding of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in Newport Rd., Cardiff
1883 = Elliot East Pit, New Tredegar established
1883 = North Transept of St.Margaret's Church, Roath converted into a mausoleum by the Marquis of Bute for his family.
1884 = Mwyndy Iron Mine, Llantrisant closed
1884 = Cardiff Corporation obtained powers to build reservoirs on the upper Taff , above Merthyr Tydfil
1884 = First Rugby International played at Cardiff Arms Park (Wales v Ireland)
14 August 1884 = Barry Dock & Railways Act received Royal Assent
1885 = Bute Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. incorporated in Cardiff
1885 = William Abraham (Mabon) elected first Member of Parliament for new Rhondda constituency
1885 = Swansea Working Men's Club & Institute, Alexandra Rd., Swansea built
1885 = Garw Colliery, Garw Valley opened
24 December 1885 = Disaster at Mardy Colliery killed 81 men
1886 = Severn Tunnel opened to allow direct rail connection between Cardiff/Newport/.Swansea and Bristol
1886 = Cardiff Exchange opened for stockbroking business
1886 = Lady Windsor Colliery, Ynysybwll opened
1886 = Swansea Central Library & College of Art, Alexandra Rd. built
1887 = Cardiff Iron & Tinplate Co. went into liquidation
1887 = Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd commenced production
1887 = Turner House Gallery, Penarth built to house the art collection of Major James Pyke Thompson
1888 = Melingriffith Works, Whitchurch bought by Richard Thomas. The Melingriffith Co.Ltd formed
1888 = Dowlais Iron Works set up at East Moors, Cardiff
1888 = Villiers Tinplate Works, Briton Ferry opened
1888 = Palace Theatre, Swansea built
1888/9 = Llanedeyrn Church renovated.
1889 = Welsh Intermediate Education Act. Start of secondary education in Wales
18 July 1889 = Official opening of Barry Dock
By 1890 = Mountstuart Shipbuilding, Graving Dock and Engineering Co, Cardiff. established
1890 = National Bank of Wales established in Cardiff
1890 = Establishment of Cardiff Technical School
1890 = Pit disaster at Morfa Colliery, Port Talbot killed 87 men
1890 = Pit disaster at Llanerch Colliery killed 176 men
1890 = Spillers & Co. amalgamated with William Baker & Son of Bristol to become Spillers & Bakers Ltd., Flour Mills
By 1891 = Barry Island started to be used as a holiday resort
1891 = Clydach Vale No 3 (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1891 = Dowlais Works opened two furnaces at its Cardiff works for production of steel and plate
1891= Closure of Trecastle Iron Mine, Llanharry
1892 = Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway constructed
1892 = Park Slip Colliery disaster killed 116 men
1892 = Gwalia Tinplate Works, Briton Ferry started.
1892 = Nantgwyn (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1892 = The Vale of Glamorgan Agricultural Society replaced the Glamorgan Agricultural Society
26 August 1892 = Disaster at Park Slip Colliery, Aberkenfig killed 112 men
1893 = Dyffryn House, St.Nicholas built for Cory family
25 June 1894 = Disaster at Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd killed 290 men
1894 = Port Talbot Dock & Railway Co. formed to improve the docks and build railway connections to the collieries of the Western Valleys of Glamorgan
1894 = Llanbradach Colliery opened
1894 = Commencement of re-building of St.Mary's Church, Swansea (completed 1898)
1895 = First running of Welsh Grand National (horse race) at Ely, Cardiff
1895 = propsal to build a further dock at Cardiff (the Queen Alexandra Dock)
1896 = Cardiff Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition
1896 = Merthyr Tydfil Old Town Hall built
1897 = Grand Theatre, Swansea opened
1897 = Swansea Technical College built
1897 = New General Post Office built in Westgate Street, Cardiff
14 December 1897 = Cardiff City Council bought Cathays Park from Marquis of Bute to establish the new Civic Centre
1898 = South Wales Miners Federation formed after defeat of miners in six-month lock-out
1898 = Port Talbot Docks constructed
1898 = Cardiff Tramway commenced operation
August 1899 = death of 3rd Marquis of Bute
1900 = New site at Cathays Park assigned to University College, Cardiff
1900 = Keir Hardy elected to Parliament as MP for Merthyr Tydfil. First Welsh Labour MP
1900 = Bertie, Trefor & Hafod Collieries, Trhafod consolidated to form the Lewis Merthyr Colliery
1900 = Amalgamation of Dowlais Iron Co. with Keen & Co. of Birmingham as Guest, Keen & Co.
1901 = Morgan Stuart Williams of Aberpergwm bought St.Donats Castle
1901 = Foundations laid for new Cardiff Town Hall in Cathays Park
24 May 1901 = Disaster at Senghenydd Colliery killed 82 men
1902 = Mond Nickel Co. Works, Clydach established
1902 = Swansea Infirmary, Mount Pleasant, Swansea built (completed 1904)
1902 = Amalgamation of Guest, Keen & Co. with Nettlefolds Ltd to form Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (GKN)
1904/5 = spread of Religious Revival in Wales
5 July 1905 = Disaster at Wattstown Colliery killed 119 men
1905 = Wales defeated New Zealand All Blacks in rugby international in Cardiff
1905 = Cardiff declared a City and Cardiff City Hall opened in Cathays Park
1905 = Broughton Maltings (near Wick) converted into Welfare Hotel to provide holidays for coalminers
1906 = The Law Courts in Cathays Park, Cardiff opened
10 December 1906 = opening of the New Theatre, Cardiff
1907 = Port Talbot Steel Works established
1907 = Penallta Colliery, Gelligaer started (completed 1909) by Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co.
1907 = Founding of the National Museum of Wales
1907 = Office of Prior of Wales of the Order of the Hospital of St.John created
1907 = King Edward VII Avenue in Cathays Park, Cardiff opened by the King
July 1907 = opening of the Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff by King Edward VII
1908 = South Wales Miners Federation affiliated to the Labour Party
1909 = spread of Independent Working Class Education Movement in South Wales
1909 = Kings Dock, Swansea built
1909 = Opening of University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire building in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1909 = Wyndham Park (or Glyn Cory Garden Village), Peterston-super-Ely established by Jon & Reginald Cory
1909 - commencement of construction of Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Alexandra Rd., Swansea (completed 1911)
1910 = Garden Village begun at Fforest Fach, Swansea
1910 = Anthony (steam coal) Colliery, Rhondda opened
1910 = Gilfach Goch Garden Village started by Welsh Garden Cities Ltd. (completed 1914)
1910 = South Wales Cottage Exhibition arose from the Swansea Town Council decision to erect a new housing estate at Townhill, Swansea. They invited architects to erect prototype houses to a set of fixed prices. (now Mayhill Estate)
1910/11 = Cambrian Combine Dispute. Riots at Tonypandy
1912 = Glamorgan County Hall opened in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1912 = Opening of Cwm Colliery, Beddau (near Pontypridd)
1912 = Foundation stone laid for the National Museum of Wales Building in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1912 = National Miners Strike. Minimum wage level for miners introduced
1912 = Cefn Coed Hospital, Waunarlwyd Rd., Swansea commenced (completed 1929)
1912 = Commencement of building of Rhiwbina Garden Village by Cardiff Workers Co-operative Garden Village Society Ltd.(completed 1923)
By 1913 = 10.5 million tons of steam coal per year being exported from Cardiff which had become the largest coal exporting port in the world
By 1913 = 56.8 million tons of coal per year being mined in South Wales Coalfield
1913 = opening of Treforest School of Mines. The first mining management training school in Wales
1913 = 11 million tons of coal exported from Barry
1913 = Peak production of South Wales coalfield
1913 = Swansea Central Police Station built
1913 = over 15000 sailings by ships from Cardiff, Barry & Penarth
1913 = Swansea Exchange built
1913 = Swansea Electric Cinema (later the Carlton Cinema) built
1913 = Fernhill Garden Village, Abercwmboi started by subsidiary of Welsh Garden Cities Ltd.
14 October 1913 = Disaster at Universal Pit, Senghenydd killed 439 miners
27 October 1913 = Tornado did great damage in Cilfynydd, Abercynon & Edwardsville & to a lesser extent in the Rhondda & Rhymney Valleys
1914 = Building of Barry Garden Suburb commenced.
1915 = South Wales Miners Strike. New wage agreement.
1914 to 1918 = First World War - Cardiff dry docks used extensively for the maintenance of the country's shipping
1916 = Establishment of Cardiff Technical College
1916 = South Wales Coalfield taken over by the Government
1916 = Margam Steel Works established
1916 = Completion of the new Cardiff Technical College in Cathays Park
1918 = Labour Party won most South Wales Coalfield seats
1919 = Royal Commission on the Coal Industry recommended Nationalisation
1919 = Swansea Technical College admitted as a part of the University of Wales
1919 = Swansea Corporation purchased Singleton Abbey from 2nd Lord Swansea
1920 = Llandarcy Oil Refinery built at the mouth of the River Neath
1920 = Queens Dock, Swansea built largely for the oil refinery at Llandarcy
1921 = Coal Industry handed back to Coalowners. Miners defeated in lock-out. Wages reduced.
1922 = Caerphilly Miners Hospital established at Watford, Caerphilly
1922 = Railway Grouping - Great Western Railway took over Cardiff Railway, Taff Vale Railway, Barry Railway, Rhymney Railway, Brecon & Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway, Neath & Brecon railway.
1922 = Llandaff, Llanishen & Lisvane brought within the boundaries of Cardiff
1924 = White Bros. Started to develop Barry Island Fairground
1923 = Singleton Abbey, Swansea became the Administrative HQ of University College, Swansea
1925 = William Randolph Hearst bought St.Donats Castle and set about "modernising" it
1925 = Royal Commission on the Coal Industry
1926 = General Strike. Miners' lock-out. Defeat of miners; reduced wages and longer working hours
1926 = Llwyn-onn Reservoir, Cefn Coed y Cymmer (near Merthyr Tydfil) opened, providing water to Cardiff
1926 = Cefn Coed Colliery, Crynant opened
1927 = First hunger march from South Wales
1927 = Opening of the National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff by King George V
1928 = Welsh National War Memorial, Alexandra Gardens, Cardiff opened by Prince of Wales
1930 = Amagamation of GKN with Baldwins Ltd to form Guest, Keen & Baldwins Iron & Steel Co.
1930 = Mass unemployment in South Wales Coalfield. Substantial emigration from the area.
1930 = Steel making ended at Dowlais Works, Merthyr Tydfil
1932 = Commencement of construction of new Guildhall at Swansea (completed 1936)
1933 = Frank Brangwyn's five panel pantings symbolising the beauty of Greater Britain originally painted for the House of Lords to commemorate Peers who had died in the First World War were hung in the new Swansea Guldhall
1934 = Opening of Llandough Hospital at Llandough-juxta-Penarth
1935 = GKN transferred rolling mills and finishing dept. from Rogerstone, Newport, Mon to Cardiff
1937 = Rumney became part of Cardiff
1938 = Opening of the Temple of Peace and Health in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1938 = Opening of the Welsh Board of Health Office in Cathays Park, Cardiff
1939 = Horse Racing ended at Ely Racecourse, Cardiff
1941 = Swansea severely hit by German bombing. St.Mary's Church destroyed.
1941 = Llandaff Cathedral destroyed by enemy bomb
1944 = National Union of Mineworkers formed
1946 = Hoover Factory built at Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil (completed 1948)
1947 = Nationalisation of coal industry. National Coal Board (NCB) set up.
25 April 1947 = death of 4th Marquis of Bute
September 1947 = 5th Marquis of Bute gave Cardiff Castle and its estate to the city.
1948 = Opening of Welsh Folk Museum at St.Fagans Castle
1948 = Commencement of building of Abbey Steel Works, Port Talbot & reconstruction of Margam Works.
1950 = Establishment by GKN of new wire rod mill at Tremorfa, Cardiff
1950 = Part of St.Melons incorporated within Cardiff
1952 = Velindre Tinplate Works, Llangyfelach built (completed 1956)
1954 = St.Mary's Church, Swansea re-built (completed 1959)
1955 = Cardiff became, by Royal Decree, Capital City of Wales
1955 = Widespread pit closures in South Wales
14 August 1956 = death of 5th Marquis of Bute
1957 = closure of Melingriffith Works, Whitchurch
1957 = Llandaff Cathedral re-opened
1958 = British Empire & Commonwealth Games held at Cardiff
1960 = Final closure of Swansea & Mumbles Railway (first paying passenger line in the world)
1961 = First stage of Singleton Hospital, Swansea completed
1961 = Opening of Cardiff College of Advanced Technology in Cathays Park
1962 = Atlantic College established at St.Donats Castle
1962 = Coal ceased to be expoted from Port Talbot Docks but the import of iron ore had already supplanted it as the main trade through the port
1962 = New wire nail manufacturing unit added to GKN's Tremorfa Works, Cardiff
1963 = Severe snow storms in Glamorgan
21 Oct 1966 = 144 died in Aberfan as coal tip buried the school
1967 = Royal Mint relocated from London to Llantrisant
1972 = National Miners' Strike
1972 = New deep water tidal harbour established at Port Talbot for the unloading of iron ore for the Port Talbot steel works
1976 = Severe drought
1984/5 = Miners' strike against pit closures defeated
1987 = Severe winds caused great deal of damage in South Wales