This article is about the particular significance of the year 1987 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards (until 13 June); Peter Walker Archbishop of Wales – George Noakes, Bishop of St David's (elected) Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Elerydd (outgoing) Emrys Deudraeth (incoming)
Events 12 January - The lowest daytime maximum temperature ever recorded in Wales (−8.0 °C) is recorded at Trecastle, Powys. 12 February - The Roman Catholic Church in Wales creates a new Diocese of Wrexham and moves the Diocese of Menevia to Swansea. 5 March - The High Court declares Dorothy Squires a vexatious litigant. 15 March - Roy Jenkins is elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford. 14 April - Oakwood Leisure Park opens near Narberth, Pembrokeshire. 7 May - District council elections take place across Wales (and England). The Conservatives lose control of Cardiff City Council. 24 May - Neil Kinnock is interviewed by David Frost about Labour's defence policy and plans for government. 28 May - The Mametz Wood Memorial, sculpted by David Petersen, is unveiled in Cardiff. 11 June - In the general election Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones wins the seat of Ynys Môn from the Conservatives. Plaid retain their other two parliamentary seats. Alun Michael replaces James Callaghan as MP for Cardiff South. Labour's Paul Flynn wins back Newport West from the Conservatives. 11 July - The Mametz Wood Memorial is dedicated at the site of the Royal Welch Fusiliers battle of 1916 in France. 5 October - Keith Best, former Conservative MP for Ynys Môn, having been sentenced to four months' imprisonment for share-dealing activities, has his sentence quashed by the Court of Appeal after serving five days. 19 October - Four people are killed in the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse, when a train falls into the swollen River Tywi,Report on the Collapse of Glanrhyd Bridge (1990), page 1 as a result of the flooding that affects many parts of Wales. 20 November - Roy Jenkins becomes Baron Jenkins of Hillhead. 22 November - The Welsh language is used within the Vatican for the first time on an official occasion, as part of a beatification ceremony for three Welsh martyrs. date unknown Creation of the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. Chris Loyn establishes the architectural practice Loyn & Co in Penarth. The National Trust buys Dinefwr Park in Llandeilo, including the deer park.
Arts and literature Jim Burns becomes the first non-American to win the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist.
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Porthmadog) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Ieuan Wyn National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - John Griffith Jones National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Margiad Williams
New books English language Dannie Abse - Ask the Bloody Horse Rees Davies - Wales: The Age Of Conquest, 1063-1415 Stephen Gregory - The Cormorant Douglas Houston - With the Offal Eaters J. Beverley Smith - Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Frances Thomas - Seeing Things Peter Thomas - Strangers from a Secret Land R. S. Thomas - Welsh Airs
Welsh language Euros Bowen - Oes y Medwsa T. Glynne Davies - Cerddi Dafydd Glyn Jones - Drych yr Amseroedd Nesta Wyn Jones - Rhwng Chwerthin a Chrio Alan Llwyd - Barddoniaeth y Chwedegau Gwylon Phillips - Llofruddiaeth Shadrach Lewis Rhydwen Williams - Amser i Wylo
Music 3 December - Indian classical musician Ram Narayan records his album Rag Lalit at Wyastone Leys near Monmouth. MusicFest Aberystwyth is founded by cellist Nicholas Jones. The Alarm - Eye Of The Hurricane (album) Anrhefn - Defaid Skateboard a Wellies Y Cyrff - Y Testament Newydd (EP) Frank Hennessy - Thoughts and Memories (album) Karl Wallinger - Private Revolution (album)
Film Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond in The Living Daylights. On the Black Hill, adapted from the novel by Bruce Chatwin and set in Wales, stars Bob Peck, Gemma Jones and Mike Gwilym.
Broadcasting
English-language radio John Humphrys becomes a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Welsh-language television Ioan Gruffudd joins the cast of Pobol y Cwm.
Sport BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Ian Woosnam. Golf - David Llewellyn and Ian Woosnam win golf's World Cup in Hawaii. Rugby union Wales finish 4th in the 1987 Five Nations Championship with just a single win, over England. Wales finish third, their best ever position, in the first Rugby World Cup. 5 April - Pontypool Park hosts the first international for the Wales women's national rugby union team who lose 22–4 to England. Skiing - Dry ski slope opened on the Great Orme at Llandudno.
Births 9 January - Bradley Davies, rugby union player 21 January - Joe Ledley, footballer 24 January - Wayne Hennessey, footballer 14 February - Lee Selby, World champion boxer 24 March - Rob Davies, footballer 27 March - Adam Davies, footballer April - Hannah Stone, harpist 8 May - Aneurin Barnard, actor 23 August - Alexandra Roach, actress 4 September - Mike O'Shea, cricketer 29 September - Claire Williams, athlete 21 October - Steph Davies, cricketer 30 November - Victoria Thornley, Olympic rower
Deaths 5 January - Brinley Williams, Wales dual-code rugby international, 91 21 January - Donald Holroyde Hey, chemist, 83 4 February - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, writer and broadcaster, 78 7 March - E. D. Jones, librarian, 83 4 April - Richard Ithamar Aaron, philosopher, 85 13 April - Alfred Evans, Labour MP, 73 19 April - Stan Richards, footballer, 70 22 May - Keidrych Rhys, poet and editor 22 June - William Price, footballer, 83 20 August - Dorothy Rees, politician, 89Chris Williams, ‘Rees, Dame Dorothy Mary (1898–1987)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2011 retrieved 10 January 2016 4 September - Richard Marquand, film director, 49 (stroke) 11 September - Hugh David, television director, 62 25 September - Emlyn Williams, dramatist and actor, 81 5 November - Howard Davies, rugby player, 70 date unknown - Clifford Williams, politician, Labour MP for Abertillery 1965–1970
See also 1987 Cardiff City Council election 1987 in Northern Ireland
Notes