On 1st  April 1977 ,  Richard Booth, a local second-hand bookshop owner, declared Hay-on-Wye to be an 'independent kingdom' with himself as its king and his horse as prime minister.

The publicity stunt subsequently developed the town into a favourite destination  for second-hand book lovers and venue for a literary festival  which draws  80,000 visitors over ten days over the Whitsun bank holiday  each year.  

The Welsh coal strike of 1898 commenced on 1st  April. 

The Welsh coal strike of 1898 was an industrial dispute which began as a campaign by the colliers to remove the sliding scale payment system, which linked colliers' salaries to the price of coal on the open market. The miners argued that the scale could be abused by traders and mine owners to the detriment of the workers.

The strike quickly turned into a lockout which would last for six months and resulted in a failure to remove the contentious sliding scale and also saw the end of Mabon's day, the  first Monday  of the month holiday, which had previously awarded to the miners.  The strike is seen as an important landmark in Welsh history and was instrumental in the rise of trade unionism in South Wales and the foundation of the South Wales Miners' Federation.

Today  is the feast day of Saint Tewdrig 

Saint Tewdrig,  was the grandson of King Nynniaw of Gwent and ruled Gwent in the early 7th century. In later life, he abdicated  and became a hermit at Din-Teyryn (Tintern). Soon afterward, however, in around 630, the Saxons invaded Gwent, so Tewdrig decided to come out of retirement and take up his sword once more to defend the church. The Saxon menace was defeated, but  Tewdrig was wounded in the Battle of Pont-y-Saeson.

His wounds were cleaned at a miraculous spring, now known as St.Tewdrig's  Well, where  he died. His son, King Meurig, built a church on the spot and enshrined his father's body there. The place became known as Merthyr-Teyryn (Mathern, near Chepstow) after the Martyred King.  

Born this day, 1943 in Derby (both of his parents were Welsh)

Dafydd Wigley , a former MP, Welsh Assembly Member and leader of Plaid Cymru. In 1974, he became one of Plaid Cymru's first MPs to be elected to the House of Commons and  in  2010  he was granted a peerage and took his seat in the House of Lords as Baron Wigley of Caernarfon.

Did a Welshman invent the wheel? 

Astonishing new evidence is emerging that a Welshman may be associated with perhaps one of the most important inventions in the development of humankind.

The name of Madfor Myles, a Celtic tribal leader who lived in what is now Mid Wales has been put forward as the first known user of the axled wheel. Carbon dating of the shaped timber found in a bogland area in the Brecon Beacons makes it the earliest use of such a wheel anywhere on the planet. It is likely that it was used on carts used to transport agricultural equipment and produce between the hendref, the tribe's permanent lowland settlement where they would spend the winter and the hafod, the highland pasture, that the tribe would use during the summer months.

Further evidence revolves around the name given to the device, Madfor's mother is thought to have descended from the Wheelan tribe of Ireland, so it would not be too far-fetched to suggest that it was originally called a wheelan, in her honour, which was shortened to wheel over the years.

On 1st  April 1859,  the Corris Railway opened.   

The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge railway initially built to transport slate to be shipped from the Dyfi estuary. When in the 1860's the line ceased to deliver direct to shipping, a passenger service flourished, using adapted wagons, and for the rest of the nineteenth century, the Railway developed  a substantial  tourist traffic.

The railway continued to run its own successful bus services and tourist routes (picture shows Corris Railway charabancs on the Grand Tour passing Talyllyn c 1907) until in 1930 the Great Western Railway purchased the line and soon afterwards it became one of the first to be closed by the newly-nationalised British Railways.  A preservation society was formed in 1966, initially opening a museum and then a short section of line between Corris and Maespoeth, which was re-opened to passengers in 2002. The railway now operates as a tourist attraction.

On 1st  April 1974 , The Local Government Act 1972 came into effect, reorganising local government areas and incorporating the area of Monmouthshire as part of Wales. 

The historic county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535.  The Second Laws in Wales Act of 1542 enumerated the counties of Wales and omitted Monmouthshire.  This led to confusion as to whether the county was part of Wales or not. Since the changes in April 1974  the area has been placed unequivocally  in Wales.

Born this day 1948, in Nantyffyllon

J.J. Williams ,  former  Wales  and Lions rugby international who played a significant role in the 1974 test series against South Africa, scoring two tries in each of the second and third tests.This performance earned him the title "The Welsh Whippet".  He was also an outstanding track athlete, representing Wales in the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and becoming Welsh sprint champion in 1971. 

On 1st  April 2007 , prescription charges were abolished for NHS patients in Wales. 

The NHS, founded in 1948, was intended to provide an entirely free health service for everyone. However, the increasing cost prompted the introduction of prescription charges in 1952 causing the resignation of several prominent ministers, including Aneurin Bevan, who had introduced the National Health Service, and Harold Wilson, the future Prime Minister. 

In 1965, under Harold Wilson, Labour abolished prescription charges, but restored them in  June 1968 , with exemptions for old and young people, those on benefits, and people with chronic diseases.