Born on this day 1833 in Ruabon, Denbighshire.

Major Walter Clopton Wingfield - a British army officer who is credited with being the inventor of the game of  Tennis.

Major Wingfield wanted to create a game that unlike real tennis, could be played outside and adapted the old Welsh game of Cerrig y Drudion, using the newly invented rubber ball to invent a game he called "Sphairistike or Lawn Tennis." 

He published a book of rules for the game in 1873 and took out a patent in 1874. The game became incredibly popular and in 1875, the All-England Croquet Club at Wimbledon set up a lawn for the game to be played on and the rest is history. 

Born on this day 1834 in Llanllwchaiarn, near Newtown, Powys. 

Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones - founder of the mail-order industry and inventor of the sleeping bag.

During the 1800's, Newtown was a major centre for the woollen industry and Pryce Jones's business started off as a drapery shop selling Welsh Flannel supplied by local woollen manufacturers. The business was a success and its orders were dispatched far and wide, at first by stagecoach, and later by train. As the railway network expanded, so did his business. He was able to sell Welsh Flannel to the rest of Europe, America and eventually Australia. The London and North Western Railway Company provided him with 3 parcel vans for daily deliveries along the Newtown to Euston line and he was able to promise next day delivery to most of Britain. Then in 1879, he built the purpose made Royal Welsh Warehouse, near Newtown train station, as by then he had in excess of 100,000 customers, including Florence Nightingale and Queen Victoria. In 1882, his idea of developing a parcel post service was taken up by the Post Master General. This was such a success, that in 1901 Pryce Jones built his own post office.

Pryce-Jones's most famous product was the patented Euklisia Rug - an all-in-one rug, shawl, blanket and pillow, which he sold 60,000 of to the Russian army. It was also used by German troops during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1. and missionaries in Africa and pioneers in the Australian outback. It later developed into what we know today as the sleeping bag.

Newtown's woollen industry went into decline, when in 1912, it lost its largest factory, the Cambrian Mills to extensive fire damage. This followed by the depression years of the 1920’s and 1930’s and competition from the north of England meant that it was less profitable to manufacture in Mid Wales. However, the impact that Pryce-Jones had on a local, national and international level cannot be underestimated. He revived the local woollen industry, created jobs, organised local events for his workers and founded the mail-order industry, which was copied worldwide. For his contribution commerce, Pryce-Jones was knighted in 1887.

On 16th October 1886 a statue was unveiled of John Batchelor (1820–1883) who has been described as one of Cardiff's most notable citizens and "The Friend of Freedom"

Born in Newport, Batchelor moved to Cardiff in his early twenties, where he set up as a timber and slate merchant in Cardiff docks. Batchelor then went into shipbuilding but was obstructed by the immensely powerful third Marquess of Bute who refused him permission to use the docks. Undeterred, Batchelor was instrumental in establishing the Mount Stuart Dry Dock.

As well as being a successful businessman, Batchelor was concerned about social issues and heavily involved in local politics, he was a radical Liberal councillor, served as Cardiff Mayor, a devoted Congregationalist responsible for the founding of a chapel in Charles Street, Chairman of the Cardiff School Board and a tireless anti-slavery campaigner.

His political views, brought him into regular conflict with the Tory establishment and the influential rich, such as the Butes and their supporters and this is thought to have contributed to the eventual collapse of his businesses in the 1870s. However, collections among his friends and the communities that he had supported over the years, helped him to survive and after his death, a statue of him was erected in The Hayes, Cardiff.

On 16th October 1874, the first issue of Yr Ymwelydd was published in Australia under the editorship of William Meirion Evans

Australian Welsh periodicals

Emigration from Wales to Australia increased at the beginning of the second half of the 19th century and Welsh-speaking communities grew in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.  There were estimated to be over 2000 Welsh people living in Ballarat and Sebastopol in 1858.

In 1865,  Yr Ymgeisydd  [The Endeavourer] Australia's first Welsh periodical, appeared, but as far as is known only 1 issue was published. Another attempt to found a Welsh publication was made in May 1866 with the appearance of  Yr Australydd   [The Australian], edited by William Meirion Evans. He was a native of Caernarfonshire and a minister, who also worked in the copper and gold mines of South Australia.  Yr Australydd   ended in 1872 but in October 1874,  Yr Ymwelydd  [The Visitor] was established as a monthly newspaper, also edited by W M Evans. This continued to appear until December 1876. 

Pobol y Cwm, the Welsh language television soap opera was first screened on October 16th 1974 and is the longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC.  It is now also screened by S4C and is regularly its most watched programme.  In 1994, it was briefly shown across the whole of the United Kingdom on BBC2 with English subtitles.

The setting for the show is the fictional village of Cwmderi, located in the Gwendraeth Valley – the area lying between Carmarthen and Llanelli.  Whilst much of the show's early activity took place at a nursing home, storylines are currently centred around the village pub, Y Deri and its adjacent small businesses and houses.  Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl.  There are two other imaginary villages close to Cwmderi, namely Llanarthur and Cwrt Mynach.  Well-known faces who have appeared include film stars, Rachel Thomas and Ioan Gruffudd.

Born on this day 1929 in Swansea

Ivor  Allchurch - former Wales soccer international.

Known as 'The Golden Boy' of Welsh football,  Allchurch is recognised as one of the games "Greats", he played for Swansea Town, Newcastle United and Cardiff City.  In total, he played 691 games and scored 249 goals.  For Wales, he is best remembered for his performances during the 1958 World Cup, which helped them to reach the quarter-finals.

The Battle of Twt Hill 1461

Born this day 1947 in Llanelli

Terry Griffiths - snooker World Champion in 1979 at the first attempt.

A former postman, insurance salesman, miner and bus conductor, Griffiths won both the Welsh and English Amateur Championships before turning professional. As well as the World Championships, Griffiths also won the Masters and the UK Championship in 1982 and was part of the Welsh team with Ray Reardon and Doug Mountjoy, that won the World Cup of snooker in 1979 and 1980.

After retiring from playing, Griffiths has become a well respected coach and television commentator.

Born on this day 1989 in Morriston

Dan Biggar - Wales rugby international.

The Treorchy Male Voice Choir was reformed on October 16th, 1946.

A male voice choir from Treorchy is first recorded in 1883, winning first prize at a local eisteddfod.  They would later win at the National Eisteddfod and in 1895, performed at Windsor Castle, for Queen Victoria.  

The choir disbanded after the First World War, but reformed in 1946 and have since made regular appearances on radio and television broadcasts, appeared in feature films, been on several international tours, including Australia.

Born on this day 1754 in New York (the son of Francis Lewis, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and born in Llandaff)

Morgan Lewis the fourth governor of New York (1804 - 1807)

During Lewis's tenure, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was established. He was president of the New York Historical Society and also was involved in the establishment of New York University.