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21st March
On 21st March 1795 the first Gorsedd was held in Wales, on Alban Eilir in Stalling Down near Cowbridge. A Gorsedd was also held there in 1995 to celebrate the 200th anniversary.
The first ever Gorsedd had been arranged by Iolo Morganwg with a ceremony on Primrose Hill in London in 1792. A circle of stones was formed, with the larger Gorsedd Stone in the centre. Iolo tied green, blue and white ribbons on the arms of the newly appointed Gorsedd members.
Born this day, 1713 in Llandaff
Francis Lewis, who was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York.
Lewis was orphaned at an early age, educated in Scotland and moved to New York in 1734, where he was taken prisoner and shipped in a box to France while serving as a British mercantile agent. He retur ned to America and was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775. His home and property were destroyed and his wife arrested by British soldiers in the American Revolutionary War.
In New York, "The Francis Lewis School", Francis Lewis Boulevard and Francis Lewis Park, are all named after him.
Born this day, 1964 in Pontarddulais
Ieuan Evans MBE, former Wales and Lions rugby international and former Wales captain.
Evans played the majority of his career with Llanelli, but won the Heineken cup with Bath in 1998 and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007.
Born this day, 1802 near Abergavenny.
Augusta Hall, Baroness Llanover - patron of the Arts in Wales.
Because of her interest in Celtic Studies, local bard, Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc) taught Baroness Llanover to speak Welsh and she took the bardic name "Gwenynen Gwent", ('the bee of Gwent'). She was a patron of the Welsh Manuscripts Society, funded a Welsh dictionary, helped found Y Gymraes ("The Welshwoman"), the first Welsh-language periodical for women and campaigned for church services to be conducted in Welsh. She was also instrumental in the adoption of the national costume of Wales.
Born this day 1933 in Swansea.
Michael Heseltine, politician and businessman, he was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. After graduating from Oxford he built up a property business and later made his fortune from the printing business. In 1959, he entered politics and enjoyed an illustrious career, which saw him serve as, Secretary of State for the Environment, Secretary of State for Defence, Secretary of State for the Environment, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister.
His candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1990 was instrumental in the fall of from power of Margaret Thatcher. He acquired the nickname Tarzan, after an incident in the Houses of Parliament which saw Heseltine seizing the mace and brandishing it towards Labour left-wingers who were celebrating their winning of a vote by singing the Red Flag.
Born this day 1946 in Colwyn Bay
Timothy Dalton, film and television actor. Best known for playing James Bond in the films The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill.
Born this day, 1967 in Swansea
Carwyn Jones, who became First Minister of Wales in December 2009.
Born this day, 1975 in Cwm, Ebbw Vale
Mark Williams, snooker player who was World Champion in 2000 and 2003.
Williams was the first left-handed player to win the World Championship and is regarded as one of the greatest long potters in the game. Interestingly, he is partially colour-blind and has difficulty distinguishing between the red and brown balls, once even potting the brown ball by mistake.
Born this day, 1959 in Gorseinon
Colin Jones boxer, former British, Commonwealth and European welterweight boxing champion, who was regarded as the hardest punching welterweight of his time.
