On 4th February 1771, the London based Gwyneddigion Society held its first formal meeting.at the Bull's Head Tavern in Walbrook.

It was originally a social club for Welsh speakers who enjoyed singing, but later developed into a a literary and cultural society. One of its noteable early projects, was the funding of an expedition to North America in the 1790's, to find evidence of Madog ab Owain Gwynedd's legendary discovery of America.

Born this day 1903, in Cwmcarn, Monmouthshire.

Sir Oliver Graham Sutton, who was a leading meteorologist and researcher into air pollution.

Sutton was engaged in the organization of research and development of chemical weapons during World War II and was heavily involved in the Porton wartime programme. He later became Director General to the Meteorological Office and was responsible for the early development of weather forecasting using the first electronic computers and satellites, which were broadcast on the first telephone forecasts in 1955 and later adapted to the radio and television service. He was knighted in 1955 for services to mathematics and science.

Owen Tudor (Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur) a prominent member of the Tudor dynasty and grandfather of Henry VII was executed at Hereford on 4th February 1461.

Owen Tudor's father Maredudd ap Tudor (Meredith) had along with his two brothers Rhys and Gwilym been firm supporters of Owain Glyndwr's rebellion of 1400 and as a consequence, when the uprising was put down, Maredudd lost most of his land. He therefore decided to move to London and changed his son's name to Owen Tudor. After Maredudd died, Owen became the ward of his father's second cousin, Lord Rhys and at the age of seven, he was sent to the English court of Henry IV as page to the King's Steward.

1415 - Owen fought for the English at Agincourt and afterwards was granted "English rights" which allowed him to carry arms, as Henry IV had deprived Welshmen of many civil rights.

1422 - Henry V died and confusion swept through England, the infant Henry VI was now King of England and Henry V's widow Catherine of Valois was kept under watch as whoever she wed would become step-father to the king

1431 - Catherine met and by some accounts, married Owen. They had four children including Edmund and Jasper

1442 - Henry VI began to take an interest in the upbringing of his step brothers Edmund and Jasper and they were brought to London.

1452 - Edmund was created earl of Richmond and Jasper was created earl of Pembroke and Henry VI recognized them as his brothers

1457 - Henry Tudor (later to become Henry VII) was born at Pembroke Castle the only child of Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort. Edmund had died 3 months earlier as a a result of defending Carmarthen Castle from the Yorkists

1460 - Henry VI was deposed by Edward IV and imprisoned

1461 - At the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, Owen Tudor led the Lancastrian forces, who were defeated by the Yorkists and he was subsequently beheaded at Hereford.

The siege of Cardigan Castle by Royalist forces ended unsuccessfully on 4th February 1645

A history of Cardigan Castle;

1093 - Following their invasion of 1066 the Norman invaders sought to control the narrows of the River Teifi just above its estuary and they built an earth and timber castle a mile downstream of the present castle

1096 - The Welsh laid waste to the original Norman castle.

1110 - The present castle site is said to have been first occupied by the Norman lord, Gilbert FitzRichard de Clare and remained under Norman control until 1165.

1165 - Rhys ap Gruffydd the Prince of Deheubarth captured and demolished the castle.

1171 - Rhys had been so successful against Norman attempts to conquer the area that Henry II officially recognised him as the lawful Lord in south Wales, and he became known as Lord Rhys. He moved his chief court to Cardigan and began to rebuild the castle in stone. This was the first time a castle was built in stone by a Welshman.

1176 - A defining moment for Welsh culture came when Lord Rhys staged an event at Cardigan Castle that is considered to be the first national Eisteddfod and was attended by bards, musicians and singers from all over Europe.

1197 - Following Lord Rhys’s death his sons Maelgwn and Gruffydd battled over their inheritance. The following year, Maelgwn handed over Gruffydd, to the English and then seized Cardigan.

1200 - Maelgwn sold Cardigan Castle to the Normans. The following years were turbulent, with the castle changing hands between the Welsh and the Normans a number of times,with sieges recorded in 1215, 1223, 1231 and 1240,

1244 - An English Earl, Robert Waleran began to rebuild the castle using innovative designs and it was in a fit state for King Edward I to stay in it in 1284 and 1295.

1376 - Princess Joan, widow of Edward ‘The Black Prince’ ran an administration in Cardiganshire that was independent of the English Crown. Cardigan Castle had its own courts and exchequer.

1405 - Followers of Owain Glyndwr took possession of the Teifi valley from the Normans but were unable to capture Cardigan castle.

1485 - Henry Tudor (soon to become Henry VII) is said to have stayed the night in the castle on his way to the Battle of Bosworth with his army to defeat Richard III.

1501 - Henry gave the castle to Katherine of Aragon as part of her dowry to her first husband, Arthur, Prince of Wales.

1644 - During the English Civil War it was taken by the Royalists (Cavaliers). In December that year it was besieged by Parliamentary troops (Roundheads) for three weeks. A ship’s cannon was set up across the river to fire cannon balls at the castle wall. After three days the wall was breached, allowing the Parliamentary forces to take the castle.

1645 - The Cavaliers unsuccessfully tried to regain the castle with their siege ending on 4th February. The Parliamentary troops destroyed some of the stone buildings and burnt the rest, making it useless for defence and it became a private property.

1713 - Thomas Brock, one of its owners, landscaped the site to make a bowling green and many of the medieval buildings were demolished.

1805-08 - The present house, known as Castle Green House was built which became home to four county high sheriffs and the Davies family who had a virtual monopoly on Cardigan Port, which at the time was the biggest in Wales.

2003 - After many years of decay and neglect the castle was bought by the local authority.