On October 20th 1886, the city of Trelew in the province of Chubut, Patagonia in Argentina was founded by Lewis Jones. It is the largest and most populous city in the lower valley of the Chubut River, with an estimated population of 100,000 people. Trelew's foundation is linked with "Y Wladfa" (Welsh settlement in Argentina), one of the leaders of which was Lewis (Luis) Jones, who acted as a spokesman to deal with the Argentine government in the beginning of the 1860s and town was named in his honour. Trelew was the starting point for the Central Chubut Railway line that would link the lower Chubut River Valley toPuerto Madryn.  

Born on this day 1961 in St Asaph

Ian Rush - former Wales soccer international, who scored 28 goals in 73 appearances.

Rush played club football for Liverpool F.C in two spells, from 1980-1987 and 1988-1996, with whom he won  5 English Football League, First Division titles, the FA Cup 3 times and the European Cup twice.  With his 346 goals, he is the club's leading goalscorer of all time.

Born on this day 1836 in Mold, Flintshire. 

Daniel Owen - generally regarded as the foremost Welsh-language novelist of the 19th century.

When Owen was only a baby, his father and two brothers, were killed in a mining accident at the Argoed mine.  This had a catastrophic effect on his family and plunged them into poverty.  As a result, Owen received no formal education.

When he was 12, Owen became an apprentice tailor to, Angel Jones, who was also an elder with the Calvinistic Methodists and this is when he began to write poetry.

Owen then began to enter his poetry into local eisteddfodau, under the    name o f  Glaslwyn and also started to publish his work.  He wanted to become a Methodist preacher, but did not complete the course, so instead in 1867, he became a tailor in Mold and preached on Sundays.  

Born on this day 1971 in Melbourne, Australia (Her mother, Carol Jones, was a dancer from Maesteg)

Dannii Minogue - singer - songwriter, talent show judge and actress, 

Danielle Jane Minogue is the youngest sister of Kylie Minogue and after success in Australia, most notably in the role of Emma Jackson in the popular soap opera "Home and Away" Dannii relocated to London in the early 1990s and is now best known for her regular appearances as a judge on the TV talent show "The X Factor"  

In October 1927, a storm severely damaged the track of the Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway.  It subsequently, never reopened and was the last horse-drawn tram service in Britain.

The tramway was originally built in 1894 for the purposes of carrying stone from the Carreg-y-defaid quarry for the construction of the new holiday resort at Pwllheli.  Soon after, the tramway started to carry passengers and was reported as being packed to capacity during the National Eisteddfod at Pwllheli in 1925. the tramway was reported to be packed to capacity.

The rule of Henry III (1216 - 1272) and its impact on Wales. 

On 19th October 1216 on the death of King John of England, his son Henry III acceded to the throne. As he was only nine years old, he was placed under the guardianship of William Marshal, who also served as regent of the kingdom until the end of Henry's minority in 1226. The politics of Wales at this time had been influenced by Henry's relations with Llywelyn Fawr. 

Initially, after Llywelyn had taken control of Gwynedd in 1194, his relations with John were cordial and in 1201, Llywelyn signed the first agreement to be signed by both a Welsh leader and an English king. Llywelyn strengthened his position when he married John's daughter Joan. 

However in 1210, when Llywelyn attacked lands belonging to the powerful Earl of Chester an ally of King John. John marched into the heart of Gwynedd and conflict was only avoided when Joan interceded with her father. But when King John faced a revolt by his Barons in 1214, Llywelyn allied with them and in 1215 conquered the castles of Carmarthen and Cardigan and marched an army over the border to capture the English stronghold at Shrewsbury. John and the rebel barons negotiated a potential peace treaty, the Magna Carta, but in practice, neither side complied with its conditions and the war soon settled into a stalemate. The King became ill and died on the night of 18 October, leaving the nine-year-old Henry III as his heir. 

1216 - Llywelyn allied himself with the powerful Marcher Baron Reginald de Breos, and his power extended now into south and central Wales. At a meeting at Aberdovey, he created a system of government which ended the warring among the Welsh Princes and they recognised him as their overlord. This was a very considerable achievement and offered the prospect of unity and peace for the Welsh under their own ruler. 

1218 - The revolt of the barons in England, had come to an end and Llywelyn paid homage to the English king on behalf of the other Welsh leaders. 

1228 - Llywelyn Fawr captured the Marcher Lord Will de Braose, and subsequently aquired lands in Brecknock, Radnor, Abergavenny and Buellt. 

1240 - Llywelyn Fawr died and his son Dafydd became Prince Of Gwynedd, but the political scene was changing, Llywelyn Fawr had always accepted oaths of homage from the other Welsh princes, however, King Henry III of England would only allow them to swear the lesser oath of fealty to Dafydd. Dafydd also imprisoned his brother Gruffydd who he regarded as a threat. 

1241 - King Henry III, with the support of Gruffydd's wife, Senena invaded Gwynedd. forcing Dafydd to submit and sign the terms of surrender of the "Treaty of Gwerneigron", which icluded the handing over of Mold Castle, Lower Powys, Meirionydd, Buellt Castle & Ellesmere. He also had to release Gruffydd into Henry's custody, who imprisioned him in The Tower Of London, using the threat of his release as a means of forcing Dafydd to keep the terms of the treaty. 

1244 - Gruffydd died from a fall while trying to escape from the Tower of London. This freed Dafydd's hands, and he entered into an alliance with other Welsh princes including Gruffydd's son Llywelyn, to attack English possessions in Wales and regain lost lands. Dafydd also began diplomacy with Pope Innocent IV, the result of which was a recognition by the Vatican of his right to rule over North Wales and he was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales. 

1245 - The Pope however soon needed England's support in his dispute with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick, and withdrew his protection from Wales. Henry reacted by sending an army to invade Gwynedd, but he couldn't cross the river Conwy and in October, with their supply lines being ambushed by the Welsh, the English withdrew. 

1246 - Dafydd died suddenly in the royal home at Abergwyngregyn, he was succeeded by his nephew, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. 

1247 - TREATY OF WOODSTOCK -  Llywelyn and his brother Owain came to terms with King Henry. Gwynedd was divided with Llywelyn and Owain gaining control of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, the part of Gwynedd west of the River Conwy and Henry himself taking control of Gwynedd Is Conwy, east of the river. 

1255 - BATTLE OF BRYN DERWIN - Llywelyn's brothers, Owain and Dafydd formed an alliance against him, but Llywelyn defeated and captured both of them, thereby becoming sole ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy. 

1256 - Llywelyn crossed the River Conwy, accompanied by his brother, Dafydd and took control of most of Gwynedd. 

1258 - The barons of England rebelled against Henry III and Llywelyn maintained close relations with their leader, Simon de Montfort. He began using the title Prince of Wales, which the English Crown refused to recognise. 

1263 - Dafydd switched his allegiance to King Henry. 

1264 - Simon de Montfort became the "uncrowned King of England" after defeating King Henry and his son Edward (the future Edward I) at the Battle of Lewes. 

1265 - TREATY OF PIPTON - established an alliance between Llywelyn and de Montfort in which, in exchange for 30,000 marks, there would be a permanent peace and Llywelyn's right to rule Wales would be acknowledged. However, de Montfort although boosted by Welsh infantry was defeated and killed at the Battle of Evesham and power restored to King Henry. Llywelyn responded by capturing Hawarden Castle and routing Roger Mortimer's army in Brycheiniog in order to gain a bargaining position with King Henry. 

1267 - TREATY OF MONTGOMERY - marked an important milestone in the history of medieval Wales, as it was the first time that a King of England(Henry III) had recognised a Welsh ruler (Llywelyn ap Gruffydd) as Prince of Wales, with the right to receive homage from the other Welsh princes and lords. 

1272 - Henry III died and Edward I becomes King of England. Relations between England and Wales were to deteriorate, culminating in the death of Llywelyn in 1282 and the annexation of Wales by Edward I.  

The reign of Henry VIII began this day 1509, on the death of his father Henry VII.

Henry VII, was born at Pembroke Castle and as a young boy he stayed in protective custody at Raglan Castle during the War of the Roses. Henry VII was fully aware of his Welsh heritage as he displayed the red dragon of Cadwaladr King of Gwynedd (655–682) on his Standard as he marched through Wales enlisting the support of Welsh soldiers for the Battle of Bosworth, where he overthrew Richard III to become King of England. After he became king, Henry rewarded many Welsh men with lands and government posts, but as became apparent, he did not pass along the same love of Wales to his son Henry VIII.

Henry was born in 1491, the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, his older brother Arthur died in 1502, making Henry heir to the throne and in 1503 Henry was made Prince of Wales. On 19th October 1509, Henry VII died and Henry succeeded his father to the throne as Henry VIII.

At this time, Wales was divided into;

* The Principality - The territory of the native Welsh rulers, which was broken up into the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Merioneth and Flint, these counties were subject to English criminal law, but in civil cases Welsh law continued to be applied.

* The Marcher Lordships - The Marches were a frontier society, a buffer zone between Wales and England, where land and Lordships were awarded by the crown, in an attempt to control the area. These Marcher lordships were distinct from the usual English lordships, as they had special privileges and Royal writ did not apply.

* The Royal Lordships of Glamorgan and Pembroke, which had their own courts, laws and customs.

By far the biggest impact that Henry VIII's rule had on Wales were The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, which were parliamentary measures drawn up by Henry VIII's secretary, Thomas Cromwell, by which Wales was annexed to England to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction. The act divided Wales into 13 counties, which were the existing counties of the principality and included Marcher Lordships being converted into the new counties of Denbighshire, Brecknockshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire. The lordships of, Caus, Clun, Ludlow, part of Montgomery and most of Ewyas were incorporated into Wigmore, Shropshire, Huntington, Clifford and Herefordshire. The act created many anomalies, including Ewias Lacy, that remained a Welsh speaking region for another 300 years, although it was now officially in England.

The consequences of the act were;

* All administration in Wales was to be carried on in the English language and that no one using the Welsh language 'shall have or enjoy any manner of office,'

* The modern borders of Wales were established.

* Wales elected members to the parliament in England, the first taking their seats in the Tudor Parliament of 1542.

* The Court of Great Sessions were established, a system peculiar to Wales. They met twice a year in each county, administering English law in the English language. However, there were only 30 Welsh judges out of 217 judges, in its 288 years of existence.

* A Sheriff and 9 offices of Justice of the Peace were appointed in every county.

* The Welsh law of cyfran, by which all sons inherited equally was abolished and the English law of primogeniture, introduced i.e inheritance by the eldest son.

It has been argued that the act's main intention was to gain control over the Marches and not political union and indeed they were popular with the Welsh gentry in particular, who recognised that they would give them equality with English citizens. However, their cultural impact on Wales was seismic and remain to this day.

Hugh Williams (1796 - 19th October 1874)  was born at Gelligoch, Machynlleth. He married and moved to St Clears and became a solicitor at Carmarthen.  He was thought by many to be the instigator and undiscovered leader of the Rebecca Riots in South-West Wales.   He also gratuitously acted as a solicitor in defence of the Llanidloes, Pontardulais and Talog rioters. 

The Rebecca Riots, which took place between 1839 and 1843 in Mid and South  Wales, were a series of protests by local farmers and agricultural workers to what they saw as unfair taxation. The rioters, mostly men, dressed as women and took direct actions against toll-gates, as they were tangible symbols of high taxes and tolls.

Hugh Williams was also active in the Chartism movement, he addressed several mass meetings and drafted their petitions to the queen.  He was also friendly with Henry Hetherington and James Watson, two of the twelve authors of the People's Charter.

Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in Britain between 1838 and 1848 which took its name from the People's Charter of 1838.   The six main aims of the Peoples Charter were;

1.  A vote for every man twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for crime.

2.  The secret ballot - To protect the elector in the exercise of his vote.

3.  No property qualification for members of Parliament - thus enabling the constituencies to return the man of their choice, regardless of his personal wealth.

4.  Payment of Members of Parliament

5.  Equal Constituencies, preventing smaller constituencies swamping the votes of larger ones.

6.  Annual parliaments, to act as a check against bribery and intimidation.  

On 19th October 1987, heavy flooding affecteds many parts of Wales. Four people were killed when the Glanrhyd Bridge near Llandeilo was washed away by the swollen River Tywi and a passenger train from Swansea to Shrewsbury, fell into the river.  

Born on this day 1963 in Seven Sisters

Phil Davies - former Wales rugby international and captain, who earned 46 caps between 1985 and 1995.  This was a lean period of little success for the Welsh team, but Davies was notable as one of the few class forwards of the time.  After retiring from playing, Davies became director of rugby at Leeds Tykes from 1996 to 2006, overseeing the clubs' rise from National League Three to Heineken Cup rugby and winning the Powergen Cup.  He then became Director of Rugby for the Llanelli Scarlets (2006 – 2008) before a spells as Wales Under-20 coach and as Director of Rugby for the Cardiff Blues (2012 - 2014)

On 18th October 1884, Bangor University was founded as the "University College of North Wales”

At the time, there was a strong desire for a better standard of higher education in Wales and there was rivalry for the siting of the new college between the towns of North Wales.  One of the reasons that Bangor was chosen was due to the financial support its campaign received from the quarrymen from  Penrhyn Quarry and other nearby  quarries

The university received its Royal charter in 1885, but its degrees were issued by the University of London until 1893 when it became a founding Member of the University of Wales.

During the Second World War, the university was used to protect paintings from national art galleries from enemy bombing and also as a safer environment for students from University College, London.  

Born this day 1946 in Carmarthen

Dafydd Elis-Thomas - former Plaid Cymru MP and leader, who was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales from its inception in 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the House of Lords and a privy counsellor.  

Born on this day 1968 in Carmarthen

Rhod Gilbert - Perrier Award nominated comedian, who appears regularly on television and radio shows and hosts a weekly show on BBC Radio Wales. In 2009, Gilbert became the official Voice Of Wales for the tourist board's Visit Wales advertising campaign.  

Born on this day 1974 in Wrexham

Robbie Savage - former Wales soccer international, whose all-action and energetic style of play, resulted in him being awarded 89 yellow cards, which was a Premiership record at the time.

After his retirement from playing, Savage has worked as a TV pundit and radio presenter.  In 2011 he competed in Strictly Come Dancing, unfortunately breaking his nose whilst performing a knee-slide. 

On October 17th 1660, Colonel John Jones (often referred to as Jones Maesygarnedd ) was executed for killing the king.

A staunch parliamentarian at a time when most of Wales was Royalist, during and after the English Civil War (1642–1651), Jones,  a brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, was one of the fifty-nine signatories to King Charles I’s death warrant (a group referred to as the regicides).  He was therefore in grave danger when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and was described as “‘the most hated man in North Wales”.

Jones had been a captain in the parliamentarian army and was involved in the storming of Laugharne castle, the siege of Chester and the surrender of Anglesey.  After the war, he served in Cromwell's paliament as MP for Merioneth,  an alderman of Denbigh,  commissioner for North Wales and one of three commissioners to Ireland.  

Born on this day 1864 in Llandrygarn, Anglesey

Sir John Morris-Jones -  a poet and Professor of Welsh at Bangor University, who is credited, as helping maintain the classical standards of Welsh literature, by his insistence—through his teaching, writings and his adjudication at national eisteddfodau, that grammatical correctness and sincerity were essential components of all literary works.     

Born on this day 1905 in Panteg, Monmouthshire 

Edwin Stevens  - inventor of the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid, as used by Winston Churchill.  It was while working as a salesman for a manufacturer of electrical hearing aids, that he considered that the products he was selling were inadequate, so he set up his company (Amplivox) and designed the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid.  The microphone was worn on the lapel, with the amplifier going into the wearer's jacket pocket and the earphone was small enough not to need a headband.  As technology improved, Stevens created a smaller hearing aid that could fit into the outer ear.

Stevens was also a philanthropist, becoming a major benefactor of the University at which he had studied, Jesus College, Oxford and also of the Royal Society of Medicine.  

On Oct 17th 1982, "Sulyn" the first Welsh-language Sunday newspaper was launched.     

On 17th October 2005, the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea officially opened.

The museums' aim is to cover every of Wales' industrial and social history, using real-life artefacts, archive footage and photographs, 2-D graphic panels, video diaries and interactive computer displays.

The exhibits are fully bilingual and signed for those with hearing difficulties and include.

* "Copperopolis", the history of the copper industry of Swansea.

* Wales' maritime heritage - including a detailed scale model of the 1865 steam ship Zeta which gave Swansea-born Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta Jones her middle name.

* Animation and the companies behind such children's favourites as Super Ted.

* The interactive hall of fame, which includes, Aneurin Bevan, David Lloyd George, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Gareth Edwards, with new additions being added by votes from visitors.

* A working replica of the first steam locomotive in Wales.  

Born on this day 1966 in Wigan

Adopted Welshman, Shaun Edwards - defence coach of the Wales rugby team, who has so far helped Wales to two Grand Slams.  Prior to his involvement in rugby union, Edwards was a legendary player and captain of the Wigan Rugby League team and remains the game's most decorated player, winning eight championships and nine Challenge Cups.

As well as being an immensely talented player, Edwards was also tough and uncompromising and was voted "Man of Steel" in 1990.  His attitude typified by playing one Challenge Cup final with a broken cheekbone and eye socket. 

Off the pitch, Edwards is a devout Roman Catholic and his strong  political views meant that on one Great Britain Lions tour, he taped over the British Coal sponsorship logo on his shirt in support of the miners strike.  

17th October 1948 saw the opening of the Hoover washing machine factory at Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil. 

By 1973, the factory was employing more than 5,000 workers.  However, the factory then started to go into a gradual decline, finally closing in 2009.   

Goronwy ab Ednyfed (c. 1205 - 17 October 1268) was seneschal to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, between 1246 and 1256. As seneschal, he was in charge of domestic arrangements and the administration of servants and held his lands in Wales free from all dues and services other than military service in time of war.

Goronwy's father was Ednyfed Fychan, seneschal to Llywelyn the Great and later his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn and his mother, Gwenllian, was the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd (Lord Rhys). Goronwy's brother Tudur, a leading adviser of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, succeeded him as seneschal to Llywelyn until his death in 1278. He was a direct ancestor of Henry Tudor (King Henry VII of England) and his great grandson also Goronwy was an uncle by marriage of Owain Glyndwr.

17th October 1879 saw the official opening of the Severn Railway Bridge (destroyed in 1960).

The Severn Railway Bridge crossed the River Severn betweenSharpness and Lydney and was built by the Severn Bridge Railway company to transport coal from the Forest of Dean on the Severn and Wye Railway.

The bridge predated the construction of the Severn Tunnel, which is situated around 12 miles downstream, by seven years, after which it was used as a diversionary route when the tunnel was closed for engineering work and became known by locals as 'The White Elephant'

On 25 October 1960, there was thick fog and a strong tide; two barges carrying fuel oil and petroleum overshot Sharpness Dock and were carried upstream by hazardous tidal currents. They collided with one of the columns of the bridge, causing two spans of the 22-span steel and cast iron bridge to collapse. Part of the structure hit the barges, setting fire to them. Five people died in the incident.

The Western Region of British Railways planned to reconstruct the bridge, but after further damage to the bridge in 1961, it considered the bridge to be damaged beyond economic repair and demolition was completed in 1970.

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.

Sir John Prys of Brecon (c.1502- 15th October 1555) - author in 1547 of the first printed book in Welsh and notary public (public officer for matters usually concerned with foreign business) to King Henry VIII.

It is thought that Prys was an advisor regarding the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, which saw the administrative and legal systems of England, extended to Wales. Prys was also one of Thomas Cromwell's agents during the Protestant Reformation and took part in the major visitation of the monasteries of 1535, before the commencement of their dissolution the following year.  In 1547, Prys published the first printed book in Welsh "Yny Lhyvyr hwnn" which contained translations of the Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer.

Saint Richard Gwyn was martyred by being hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason on 15th October 1584. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Richard Gwyn was born c. 1537 in Montgomeryshire and studied at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Douai, before returning to Wales as a teacher.

Gwyn was a staunch Catholic and this was at the time following The Protestant Reformation, that it was highly dangerous to be Catholic, however Gwyn refused to convert to the Anglian faith and often had to change his home to avoid fines and imprisonment. He was arrested by the Vicar of Wrexham, an Anglican convert in 1579 and spent the next five years in and out of prison.

On one occasion Gwyn was fined £280 for refusing to attend Anglican church services, and another £140 for "brawling" when they took him there. Then in the spring of 1582 where, instead of being tried for an offence, he was given a sermon by an Anglican minister. However, he started to heckle him to the extent that the exercise had to be abandoned.

Richard Gwyn was indicted for high treason in 1583 and despite his defence and objections to the dubious practices of the court, Gwyn was exected by hanging, drawing and quartering, at the Beast Market in Wrexham on 15 October 1584. His last words, in Welsh, were reportedly "Iesu, trugarha wrthyf" ("Jesus, have mercy on me").

Born on this day 1751 in Nantglyn, Denbighshire.

David Samwell - naval surgeon with Captain James Cook, who was also an important supporter of Welsh cultural organisations in London. 

Samwell became a surgeon in the Royal Navy, sailing around the world on board HMS Resolution with Captain James Cook.  The journal of his experiences provide a detailed account of the third and last voyages of Cook to the Pacific Ocean, including Cook's death at the hands of natives on the Sandwich Islands in 1779.

Samwell lived in London was described as stout, tall, pock-marked, black haired and fierce looking, but wondrous friendly in company.  Along with other Welshmen, Smwell joined the Gwyneddigion Society which had formed in 1770.  The society celebrated with a rowdy ball every St David's Day and Samwell was reported as being one of the noisiest. 

In 1792 Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams) organised the first meeting of Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain at Primrose Hill in London. Samwell, who was present at the event, was instigated into the Gosedd of Bards and took the name Dafydd Ddu Feddyg.

On 15th October 1739, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, preached his first sermon in Wales, to a crowd of around 400 at Devauden, Monmouthshire.  Wesley then preached in Abergavenny, Pontypool, Usk, Newport and Cardiff on the remainder of his South Wales tour.

Wesley was ordained into the Church of England in 1725, but his religious views were heavily influenced by his contact with German and French non-conformist clergy during his missionary work in the American colonies.  In May 1738, he claimed to have experienced a profound discovery of God in his heart which prompted him to undertake a UK-wide tour to preach his revelation. 

A commemorative bust was recently unveiled in Devauden on the village green, as this was where he was forced to preach after being refused entry into the local church.

Born on this day 1962 in Cardiff

Mark Ring - former Wales rugby international, who regarded as among the most gifted players of his generation but his career was hampered by serious injury. A great entertainer, Ring was noted for his cheek, flair and individual skill and became a great crowd favourite with his hometown club Cardiff RFC. He ended his playing career in 1996 and moved into coaching.

Today is the anniversary of the Senghenydd Mining Disaster 

At 8.00am on Tuesday 14th October 1913, a huge explosion occurred at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd.  The explosion, and subsequent release of poisonous gas claimed the lives of 439 miners of the 950 that were working underground at the time.  It remains the most tragic mining disaster in British history.  

It is thought that the explosion was caused by a spark from the electric signalling gear that ignited methane gas and was so violent that a pit cage was blown back up the shaft.   It also caused coal dust lying on the mine floor to rise and catch fire and the fires were quickly followed by afterdamp, waves of poisonous carbon monoxide, that suffocated the miners who had escaped the explosion.

Desperate rescue attempts were hampered by fires and fallen debris, but men and boys were found and rescued from among the wreckage, however after three weeks  all hope had long gone of finding further survivors and it was only the dead bodies of the victims that were brought to the surface.  Some  could only be identified by their clothing, with one heartbreaking story being that of a young boy, identified by the patch on his jacket that his mother had sewn on a few days earlier.

The subsequent enquiry was critical of the owners and management for the poor safety standards at the colliery, especially as lessons had not been learned from a previous disaster in 1901 in which 81 men were killed, but incredibly only £24 in total was ever paid out as fines or compensation and Universal Colliery was back in operation by the end of the following month.

There is a memorial to the men and boys who lost their lives at  Nant y Parc Primary School, which stands on the site of the mine and another at the local comprehensives school as well as a clock on Senghenydd square.

October 14th, 1066 - The Battle of Hastings.

There is no record of any significant Welsh presence at The Battle of Hastings, which may not be surprising, given that in 1063,  Harold had led an army into Wales, killed the Welsh ruler Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and according to reports "Pursued the Welsh into the rocky and wooded districts that were their natural strongholds and killed every adult Welsh male they could find."   The invasion and its consequences however, were to have a major impact on Wales and changed the course of Welsh history.

October 14th, 1066, Senlac Hill, about 6 miles north-west of Hastings: two armies stood opposite each other: the English army of King Harold II in one line; the army of William of Normandy in another.

At around 9 am the Normans made the first attacks, first with arrows, then by the infantry.  The English replied with javelins and stones and the English shield wall, stayed intact.

William then sent in his cavalry, but within an hour, his left flank was broken and began to retreat.  Unwisely some English soldiers then broke rank, to chase the retreating French, encouraged by the rumour that William was dead.  William however, was not dead and removed his helmet to prove so to his troops.  This boosted the morale of the Normans and their cavalry immediately charged at the broken ranks of the English.

The English shield wall stood up well to the fresh assault but was weakened.  This encouraged William to employ the tactic of feigned retreats in order to the cut down the chasing English.

Harold’s brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine, were killed, followed shortly after by King Harold himself, who legend has it was felled by an arrow that struck him in the eye.  The English fought on bravely, but without leadership, their moral and organisation suffered and they were beaten. 

Born on this day 1755  in the parish of  Llanfihangel Abercywyn, near St Clears.

Thomas Charles - Calvinistic Methodist clergyman.  Following the Methodist Revival, a second wave of preachers emerged in Wales towards the end of the eighteenth century. Thomas Charles,  a man of wide influence in religious and educational work, was the leader of this movement and is considered of considerable importance in the shaping of modern Wales. 

After graduating from Jesus College, Oxford, Charles became an Anglican priest in Somerset for five years, before returning to Wales in 1783 to marry Sarah Jones of Bala.  Charles had been influenced by the great revival movement in Wales and had been converted by a sermon by Daniel Rowland.

This made him unpopular with the Welsh clergy, so he made the decision to join the Methodists in 1784. Charles was at the heart of a powerful Christian revival that broke out in North Wales in 1791 and throughout his life he was committed to education through Christian principles.  He is credited with being  instrumental in introducing the Circulating Schools system and Sunday Schools to North Wales.  The scarcity of Welsh bibles was Charles's greatest difficulty in his work, as by 1789, the stock was all but exhausted. When a new edition was brought in 1799, Charles managed to get his hands on approximately 4,000 copies of the 10,000 issued and in 1800 he was so inspired by Mary Jones, who walked 26 miles to purchase a Bible from him at Bala, that he  founded the British and Foreign Bible society.

He also issued his own Biblical Dictionary and corrected and edited a version of The Welsh Bible. In later life, Charles was instrumental in introducing the Circulating Schools system to Ireland and charity schools to Scotland.

The Calvinistic Methodist Church is a Nonconformist Protestant religion, closely allied to Presbyterianism, which originated in Wales (1735–36) with the evangelistic preaching of Men such as Howell Harris and Daniel Rowlands. 

Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance of the Church of England.  Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Plymouth Brethren and the Salvation Army are all considered Nonconformists 

Presbyterianism is a method of church governance typified by the rule of elders.  It developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops (episcopal polity), but also differing from the congregationalism, in which each congregation is independent.  In Presbyterianism, each local church is governed by a body of elected elders and then groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders. Its implementation was by the Geneva church under the leadership of John Calvin in 1541

Methodism- originated from a Christian revival, within the Church of England in the early 18th-century by a group of men, including John Wesley, his younger brother Charles and George Whitfield.  Later Whitfield and the Wesley's disagreed over certain aspects of religion and this led to a split, resulting in two branches of Methodism, namely Calvinisitic Methodism of which Whitfield was a proponent and Arminianistic Methodism of which the Wesleys supported.

In Wales, its beginnings may be traced to the Rev. Griffith Jones (1684–1761), of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, more than twenty years before the conversion of Whitefield.  Jones's sympathy for the poor led him to set up the system of circulating charity schools for the education of children in particular.  However in Wales,  it was Calvinistic Methodism that took root, supported by such men as, Howell Harries, who had received his religious awakening in Talgarth in 1735 before becoming an itinerant preacher, spreading every the word of God to every neighbourhood visited.  He was joined by men such as Daniel Rowlands and William Williams, Pantycelyn, the great hymn-writer.  The first Methodist Association in Wales met in 1742 and Whitefield, himself a great pulpit and open-air orator who attracted large and emotional crowds became leader of the Welsh Calvinists.  The Anglican Church never quite knew what to make of these fiery preachers and several times Harris applied for ordination in the Anglican Church, only for him to be turned down.

Thomas Charles of Bala became the leader of The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists in 1784 and in 1811 they separated from the Established Church, gaining autonomy in 1933. The Calvinistic Methodist Church was introduced (c.1826) into the United States by Welsh settlers in central New York state.

Born on this day 1644 in London

William Penn - Quaker and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, which was ultimately settled by many Welsh settlers.

In 1681, King Charles II handed over a large piece of his American land holdings, which included present day Pennsylvania, to William Penn to satisfy a debt the king owed to Penn's father  Penn immediately sailed to America and his first step on American soil took place in New Castle in 1682.  This coincided with a wave of religious intolerance in Britain which threatened the rights of several groups including Quakers and significant numbers of people felt it necessary to leave Wales

 The Welsh Quakers acquired land in modern day Pennsylvania and later known as The Welsh Tract, in a verbal contract with William Penn and began emigrating there in 1682.  However, this agreement was never put into writing and later became a source of bitter controversy.

The first Welsh colony of Cambria was established in eastern Pennsylvania by a Baptist minister from Glamorgan called Morgan John Rhys.  The Welsh Society of Philadelphia was established in 1729, it is still going strong and is the oldest society of its kind in the United States.

Born on this day 1940 in Bala

Christopher Timothy - actor, director and writer, best known for his role as James Herriot in the television series All Creatures Great and Small.

The Reverend Dr Henry Owen (1716 – 14 October 1795) - born near Dolgellau was a theologian and Biblical scholar.

Owen is noted for his work on the date of publication and composition of the Synoptic Gospels (Mathew Mark and Luke).   This hypothesis states that Mark was written first, followed by Matthew and Luke, who used Mark as a source.

Wales prior to the Norman Invasion of 1066

Prior to the Norman invasion of 1066 Wales was a country in dynastic disarray after the death in 1063 of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who had been the outstanding Welsh ruler of the 11th century.  He is remembered as "the only Welsh king ever to rule over the entire territory of Wales" and was described as the shield of his country and the terror of its enemies.

A Timeline of significant events in Wales, in the build up to The Battle of Hastings of 1066;

c. 1007  Gruffydd was born, the son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, King of Gwynedd and Deheubarth.

1023  The death of his father forced Gruffydd into exile in Powys with his mother and sisters, as Iago ab Idwal siezed the throne of Gwynedd.

1039  Gruffydd kills Iago ab Idwal and takes the throne of Gwynedd.

1055  Gruffydd had become the ruler of Powys and seized Deheubarth, Morgannwg and Gwent. This combined with his alliance with Aelgar of Mercia and their destruction of Hereford put Gruffydd in a powerful position and in exchange for his fealty, King Edward the Confesser of England recognised Gruffydd's claim to sovereignty over the whole of Wales.

1057  Gruffydd married Ealdgyth, daughter of Aelgar.

1061  King Edward and Harold Godwinson attacked Gruffydd's army at Rhuddlan, before withdrawing back to England.

1062  Harold's brother, Tostig, marched on Gwynedd from Chester, while Harold led a large force from Bristol.  Gruffydd was nearly captured, but managed to escape by sea, however, his other ships were destroyed.  Aelgar of Mercia was killed, which further weakened Gruffydd's position.

1063  Harold and  Tostig led armies into Wales, forcing Gruffydd to take refuge in Snowdonia, where he was killed by one of his own men, thought to have been from Cynan ap Iago, the son of Iago ab Idwal, whom Gruffydd had killed in 1039.  Gruffydd's head was sent to King Edward as the price for peace and Wales was divided back into the traditional kingdoms.

1066 (January)  Harold became King of England and married Gruffydd's widow Ealdgyth

1066 (14th October)  Battle of Hastings.

On 13th October 1910, the crew of the St David's lifeboat on board the "Gem" went to rescue three crew stranded in terrible weather aboard Democrat, a coal ship delivering to Ramsey Island.  The rescue was a success, but the sail-assisted rowing boat crashed onto the rocks on the return journey, killing three crew members.  Yet somewhat miraculously given the conditions, the 12 remaining lifeboatmen and the three rescued sailors, survived by clinging to rocks for over 12 hours.  They were eventually rescued when Will Thomas managed to dry out matches sufficiently enough to set fire to his oilskins to alert help from nearby Porthclais harbour.

In the aftermath of the disaster Sydney Mortimer, aged just 16, who had sailed one of the Porthclais rescue boats and saved 10 of the survivors, received the RNLI's Silver Medal.  Two years later he became the youngest coxswain of the St David's lifeboat, aged 18.  The incident was instrumental in the use of petrol motorboats by the RNLI  and also provided valuable lessons in how to improve the cork life jackets of the day.

Born on this day 1976 in Llandrindod Wells.

Carl Robinson - former Wales soccer international, who won 52 caps.   Robinson played the majority of his career with Wolverhampton  Wanderers as a combative midfielder and is currently an assistant coach for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Canada.  He was recently awarded Citizen of the Year in his tome town of Llandrindod Wells.

Adopted Welshman Paul Potts from Port Talbot  was born 13 October 1970 in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire.  He is remembered for winning  the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with his performance of "Nessun Dorma",

His first television audition, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, was remarkable, as judging from Potts's appearance and demeanour, no one watching expected the powerful and emotional rendition that he delivered and brought looks of awe from the judges. Potts received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people and the YouTube video clip from the show has since had more than 105 million views.  His subsequent album "One Chance" went on to top the sales charts in nine countries.

In Wales Potts has become involved with the charity Treat Trust Wales, which is behind ambitious plans to develop a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art rehabilitation and well being centre in the grounds of Morriston Hospital.  Potts recently headed the charity's deputation at a top-level meeting with a Welsh Government minister that could be worth £1.5 million.

On 13th October 1858, 20 men were killed in a mining accident at Lower Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash