A GLAMORGAN CHRONOLOGY

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