On 29th May 2006, a concert was held in Pontypridd to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (the Welsh national anthem). 

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was, originally known as Glan Rhondda (Banks of the Rhondda) and was written in January 1856 by Evan James from Pontypridd, with the music composed by his son, James.  It was first performed at Capel Tabor, Maesteg  by Elizabeth John also from Pontypridd, later in 1856.

The song became well known nationally, after Thomas Llewelyn of Aberdare included it in his competition winning collection of unpublished Welsh airs at the 1858 Llangollen festival and then allowed the adjudicator John Owen to include it in his publication, Gems of Welsh melody under its now famous title, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.  

In 1905, the touring New Zealand rugby team started to perform the Haka before every match, and as a response, the Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams suggested that the Welsh player Teddy Morgan sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.  When Morgan began to sing, the crowd joined in and this is credited as being the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event.  At the time, the official national anthem was "God Save the Prince of Wales", but from then on, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was also sung, until 1975, when it was decided that only "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau"  would be sung.  

Versions of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau are also used as anthems in both Cornwall and Brittany.  

The Battle of Cadfan, at which the forces of Henry III of England were roundly defeated, is widely believed to have taken place in the Tywi Valley, Carmarthenshire on 29th May 1257.

Henry's army arrived near Carmarthen before marching up the Towy Valley, towards Dinefwr Castle near Llandeilo, which they intended to take from Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and restore to their ally Rhys Fychan. However unbeknown to the English, Rhys had come to an agreement with Llywelyn, which left them without a guide in hostile and unfamiliar territory.

On the first engagement, the English army drove the Welsh westwards towards the heavily wooded area known as Broad Oak, where many more Welsh were positioned to ambush the unsuspecting English. The fighting continued all day with the Welsh employing continual hit and run tactics, using their knowledge of the area to their advantage, before striking a final blow to the tired and confused English. It is reported that 2000 of Henry's army were killed and many nobles taken hostage.

Many local place names recall the battle, with Cadfan deriving from the Welsh cad meaning battle and ban meaning peak. A local bridge, Pont Steffan is named after the English army's leader and close confidant to Henry III, Stephan Bacon who was killed in the battle and nearby fields carry the names Cae Ochain - field of groans, Cae Tranc - field of death and Cae Ffrainc - field of Normans.  

On 29th May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer the summit of Everest.  

However, it could easily have been Welshman Charles Evans planting a flag on the highest mountain in the world! He was a senior member of the 1953 expeditionary team and had been nominated as the one to make the final ascent.   Evans, raised in Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker, was only 300 metres short of the summit when he had trouble with his oxygen equipment and had to return to Everest base camp, leaving Hillary and Tenzing to take the glory.  However, this was not to be Evans's last expedition, as 2 years later, on 28th May 1955, he led the expedition that conquered Kanchenjunga in India, the world's third highest mountain.   

Born this day 1933 in Wrexham

Nick Whitehead - Olympic bronze medal athlete, as part of the 4x100m relay team at the Rome Olympics of 1960.  Whitehead later became the first director of the national coaching foundation and coached the Great Britain athletics team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Born on this day 1354 (according to Pennant),

Owain Glyndŵr ,  who led a popular uprising against English rule in the 15th century which lasted more than a decade. 

Owain was a member of the Welsh gentry who studied law at the Inns of Court in London and who was descended from the ancient royal houses of Wales. In 1400, after a century of subjugation to the English crown, the Welsh were ready for rebellion. Henry IV had seized power from Richard II, and the new king refused to support Glyndŵr's legitimate grievance against Reginald de Grey, Lord of Ruthin. This initially local dispute quickly became a national uprising.  Rallying other Welsh nobles, Glyndŵr proclaimed himself Prince of Wales. Support for his cause was widespread, with Welshmen from Oxford and London returning home to join Glyndŵr's rebellion. Henry responded by marching his army into Wales. Glyndŵr remained elusive, harrying Henry's army and ravaging his strongholds. By the end of 1403, Owain Glyndŵr controlled much of Wales. 

Glyndŵr sought to establish alliances, notably with the French. His 'Pennal' letter to Charles VI of France survives today and resulted in some financial and military support. French troops landed at Milford Haven in 1405 but only remained fighting alongside Glyndŵr for under a year.  Owain's defeat at Pwllmelyn in Monmouthshire was a turning point, after which his power ebbed. Glyndwr retreat into the heartland of central Wales, where he died, probably in around 1416, still a free man, having secured a legendary place in Welsh history.  

Born this day 1848 in Saundersfoot,

William Frost,  arguably the true inventor of the flying machine. 

Frost conceived the idea of building a flying machine in the 1890s and despite a lack of funds, constructed the "Frost Airship Glider", which seems to have resembled a vertical takeoff airplane, with gas-filled tanks. Frost reportedly made a flight on or about 2 September 1896. Observers claimed that the machine flew for 500 metres before crashing, outdistancing the Wright brothers in their first powered flight. Unfortunately, Frost's machine was destroyed in a storm the same night, and the flight, though witnessed, was not recorded. Frost applied for a patent which was accepted and registered in London, but he was too poor to pay the renewal fees and the patent lapsed. He died without wealth or recognition in 1935.  

Born this day in 1883  in Gayton, Northamptonshire, England,

Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis , architect, who built the village of Portmeirion between 1925 and 1975.

 The family had strong Welsh roots and Williams-Ellis claimed direct descent from Owain Gwynedd. He is regarded as being a self-taught architect and landscape designer, and was passionate about environmental protection, which led to a knighthood in 1971 for his services ‘to architecture and the environment’. 

He is most closely associated with the construction of the Italianate village of Portmeirion, the setting for the ‘cult’ drama series ‘The Prisoner’ starring Patrick MaGoohan, which was filmed there in 1967. Today the village is a tourist attraction and a lasting tribute to his vision and work.  

Born this day 1968 in Melbourne, Australia (her mother, Carol Ann (nee Jones) was a former dancer from Maesteg, and along with sister Dannii, has always been proud of her Welsh roots)

Kylie Minogue OBE ,  Australian pop singer, songwriter, and actress.

Her role in the television soap series 'Neighbours' brought her recognition, but it was as a pop artist that she became globally popular. She is the only female vocalist to have produced UK chart-topping albums in four consecutive decades (the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s). 

On 28th May 2010, Llanrwst celebrated the 400th anniversary of the almshouses built by Sir John Wynn.   

They were built in 1610, providing lodgings for 12 almsmen; people who were too poor to afford their own homes, and continued to shelter the needy of the parish until 1976, long after council provision had superseded the role of almshouses. 

The building lay empty for the next 25 years but was restored and opened as a community museum by the Almshouse Museum Trust in 2002, closing in 2011 when the trust's lease expired. It is now used as the headquarters of Llanrwst Town Council.  

On 28th May 1987, the Mametz Wood Memorial, sculpted by David Petersen, was unveiled in Cardiff.  

The First Battle of the Somme was one of the most savage battles of the First World War. The 38th Welsh Division was given the job of attacking Mametz Wood on 7th July 1916 but were driven back by heavy German machine gun fire. They were ordered to attack again and succeeded in reaching the wood. By 12th July, the Germans and their machine guns had been ousted from the woods but more than 4,000 soldiers from the Welsh Division had been killed in the process.  

28th May 1971 saw the opening of the Llanberis Lake Heritage Railway. 

It runs along the trackbed of the defunct Padarn Railway, which was originally built in 1842 to carry slate from the Dinorwic Quarry to Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic) on the Menai Strait.  

On 28th May 1865 the clipper ship "Mimosa" set sail from Liverpool carrying 153 Welsh emigrants bound for Patagonia. 

The passengers paid £12 per adult and £6 per child for the journey.  Their aim was to establish a Welsh colony in the Chubut River valley in a bid to preserve the Welsh language and culture. They landed on July 28 and were met by Edwyn Cynrig Roberts and Lewis Jones who had arrived in Patagonia in June to prepare for the main cohort of settlers.  They named their landing site Porth Madryn and on September 15th 1865, the first town in the colony was named Rawson, which was followed by settlements at Gaiman and Trelew.

In 1875 the Argentine government granted the Welsh settlers ownership of the land, encouraging  hundreds of others from Wales to join the colony. 

Today, more than 50,000 Patagonians are of Welsh descent, with almost 5,000 being Welsh speakers.  The Welsh-Argentine colony, which became known as Y Wladfa, remains centered around Gaiman, Trelew and Trevelin. 

Today is the feast day of Saint Melangell, patron saint of hares and rabbits.

Prince Brochwel Ysgithrog was hunting near Pennant in the year 604 when his hounds chased a hare into a thicket, where they found a beautiful maiden at prayer. The hare sheltered under the hem of her garment, and the dogs fled. The Prince, discovering that the lady was Melangell, a king’s daughter who had fled Ireland to escape a forced marriage, gave her the valley as a place of sanctuary. Melangell remained there, where she founded a nunnery.

Held on this day in 1929 at Corwen in North Wales, the first Urdd National Eisteddfod.

It is one of the biggest youth festivals in Europe and is hosted by a different area of Wales each year, with over 15,000 young people competing during the week in a variety of events including dancing, singing and drama. The competitors are the winners of local and regional rounds contested earlier in the spring. The pavilion, seating 1,800 people is the focal point of the event, but the eisteddfod field, the ' maes', has stalls, live music and sporting events, making it one of the most popular events in Wales, attracting 100,000 visitors each year.

On 26th May 1568, a congress of "bards and musicians" took place at Caerwys on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I.

In ancient Celtic times, a bard composed verses to honour heroic achievements, with poems and tales being passed from generation to generation.

The tradition continued in Early Medieval times through bards such as Taliesin and Aneurin. 

Later Medieval bards fulfilled three functions: they continued to celebrate victories, but they also chanted the nation's laws and recited genealogies. They were treated with respect and were exempt from taxes. Festivals were held, at which the most renowned bards from  various districts  contended in song.  This form of bardic tradition ended in the 13th century when the 1282 conquest ended the rule of the Welsh princes.  

However, the poetic traditions were continued throughout the Middle Ages, by noted 14th-century poets such as Dafydd ap Gwilym and Iolo Goch.  The tradition of assembling bards at an eisteddfod never lapsed and was bolstered by the formation of the Gorsedd by Iolo Morganwg in 1792, establishing Wales as an upholder of the bardic tradition even in modern times.  

On 26th May 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the evacuation of a third of a million Allied troops from Dunkirk. Several of the small boats and ships involved in that historic rescue operation sailed from Welsh ports; these included the paddle steamer Glengower and the ferry boat The Scotia.

In May 1534, the notoriously anti-Welsh bishop Rowland Lee was appointed President of the Council of Wales and the Marches.  Lee claimed to have hanged 5000 Welshmen in his five years in charge, which resulted in him being referred to as the "hanging Bishop".  

The Council was first convened in 1472 by Edward IV  to act on behalf of his son, the infant Edward, Prince of Wales, who he established at Ludlow Castle.

Under Henry VIII, the Laws in Wales Act of 1542 gave the Council statutory recognition. It continued to convene at Ludlow and had jurisdiction over the whole of Wales, along with Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

It was to hear all civil and criminal suits; it was to try all cases of murder; it was to investigate charges of misgovernment, and to deal with disputes.

The Council was abolished in July 1689, following the "Glorious Revolution" which overthrew James II and established William III as king. 

On 25th May 1999, the last pit pony in South Wales, 'Robbie', worked his last shift underground at Pant y Gasseg, Pontypool.  

In 1913, there were 70,000 ponies working underground in Britain's coal mines, gradually replaced by mechanised haulage, until by 1984, only 55 ponies were still in use. 

Small ponies no more than 12 hands high were needed, Shetlands being a breed commonly used because of their small size. Ponies were stabled underground, coming to the surface only during the colliery's annual holiday. They would work an eight-hour shift, during which they might haul 30 tons of coal.   

Born on this day 1784  in Newport,

John Frost , a prosperous citizen turned rebel who led the Newport Rising.

A successful tailor, Frost was initially radicalised during a spell in prison following a dispute with a solicitor. He became involved with the Chartist movement, which campaigned for basic democratic rights overlooked in the Great Reform Act of 1832. 

Frost advocated violent action to achieve reform, which outraged Home Secretary Lord John Russell. Frost led a three thousand strong march on Newport, mostly miners from the Gwent Valleys, converging on the Westgate Hotel in Newport where Chartist prisoners were supposed to be held. The authorities had stationed troops inside the building and opened fire, killing 20 people and wounding many more.

The Chartist movement was suppressed, as Frost and his fellow ringleaders were put on trial.  Although sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne ordered Frost to be transported to Australia instead. Frost eventually returned to Britain, and by the time of his death at the age of 91, most of the reforms for which the Chartists had campaigned had been enshrined in law.  

The Glamorganshire Canal, stretching between Merthyr and Cardiff, was closed on 25th May 1942.  

Construction on the 25-mile canal started in 1790 and was completed by 1794. Its purpose was to transport iron from Merthyr, and it later served the coal industry. It closed as a result of subsidence and competition from the railways; much of its course later buried beneath the A470 Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil dual carriageway.

On 25th May 2012, the Olympic torch started its five-day tour of Wales, as part of the torch relay of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chairman of  Disability Sport Wales, Gareth John, became the first person to bring the torch into Wales.

Born on this day in 1942 in Holywell, Flintshire, Ron Davies, former Wales soccer international.

Ron made his debut in 1960 for Chester City and for Wales in 1964 after playing for Luton and Norwich City. He went on to play for Southampton, where in his first season he scored 37 goals in 41 games.   

Released on this day in 1977, the first film in George Lucas's Star Wars sci-fi saga.

Welsh connections to Star Wars;

*   Richard Marquand, director of  "Return of the Jedi" was born in Llanishen, Cardiff. 

*   The full-scale model of the Millennium Falcon was built in Pembroke Dock by Marcon Fabrications. 

*   Andy Secombe, the son Harry Secombe  voiced the computer-generated slave owner Watto, in The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones

*   The Church of Jediism, which is a religion based on the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Jedi as depicted in Star Wars  was founded in 2007 by Daniel M Jones on Anglesey.  The organisation has over 20,000 members across the globe and was the most selected "alternative faith" in a 2012 census of England and Wales.    

On 25th May 2010 The Learned Society of Wales was launched. 

Fellowship is open to Welsh residents, those born in Wales or have a particular connection to Wales, who have a "demonstrable record of excellence and achievement" in academia, or who have made a recognised contribution to knowledge in their professional field. 

On the 24 May 1901 81 of the 82 men working at the Univeral Colliery, Senghenydd, were killed in a gas and coal dust explosion.

A report showed that fire, coal dust and air produced a deadly mixture, and new laws were passed requiring the constant damping down of coal dust. However, a much bigger disaster occurred in the same mine 12 years later, killing 439 men and boys, the worst mining disaster in  UK history. Safety had not been prioritised and regulations had been ignored. Universal Colliery was finally closed on Friday 30 March 1928 with the loss of 2500 jobs.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales near Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire was opened to the public on 24th May 2000.

It is both a tourist attraction and a centre for botanical research and the conservation of rare and endangered plants. Its 'Great Glasshouse' is the largest of its kind in the world. 

On 24th May 1847, five people were killed in the Dee bridge disaster, when Robert Stephenson's railway bridge at Chester collapsed. 

An investigation concluded that the design was flawed and a  Royal Commission condemned the use of cast iron on railway bridges. Stephenson later rebuilt the bridge using wrought iron. 

The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland on 24th May 1956.

*  In 1970 Welsh singer Mary Hopkin came 2nd with "Knock, Knock Who's There"

*  In 1976, Brotherhood of Man, won with "Save All Your Kisses For Me".  Nicky Stevens (the dark haired female vocalist) from Carmarthen, is the only Welsh person to ever win Eurovision. 

*  In 1990, Emma (Emma Louise Booth), from Bridgend, came 10th with  "Give a Little Love Back to the World"

*  In 1996, Elaine Morgan, from Cardiff came 19th, representing France in the band  Dan Ar Braz & L'Héritage des Celtes, with the  Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale" 

*  In 2002, Jessica Garlick, from Kidwelly came 3rd with "Come Back"

*  In 2004, James Fox, from Bargoed came 16th with "Hold On To Our Love" 

*  In 2013, Bonnie Tyler, from Skewen came 19th with "Believe in Me".  

Born this day 1857 in Abergavenny,

John Williams , who was awarded the Victoria Cross for action at Rorke's Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War.

His citation reads:

Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door and killed Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.  

Whitsun (Sulgwyn) is recorded in the Laws of Hywel Dda as one of the three main holidays of the medieval Welsh kingdoms, the others being Christmas(Nadolyg) and Easter (Pasc).

Whitsun traditions in Wales;

* In areas of south and east Wales the Church used to organise an outdoor feast called the Whitsun Ale after the specially brewed ale that was provided. A Lord and Lady of the Ale would often be elected to preside over the festivities, which included music, dancing, sports and games. These were later replaced by fairs and parades in some areas.

* A custom once held at Lleyn was where couples desiring future happiness tried to pass through a divided tree called Y Pren Dedwydd ('The Blessed Tree'). 

Born on this day 1929 in Cardiff,

Bobi Jones , a Welsh Christian academic, who is one of the most prolific writers in the Welsh language.

Bobi Jones is an author of international significance, a Welsh nationalist and a strong supporter of the Welsh language, with his major contribution being in the field of teaching Welsh to adults.  

On 23rd May 1832, The Festiniog Railway Company was set up by Act of Parliament.  It is the world's oldest surviving public railway company. 

Originally built to serve the slate industry of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the line was initialy operated by gravity, kept under control by brakesmen who leapt from wagon to wagon tightening or loosening the brakes while their colleague on the front wagon blew the horn to warn of its approach. Steam locomotives were introduced in the 1860s.  

During the evening of 23 May 1970, the Britannia Bridge spanning the Menai Straights was destroyed by an accidental fire. As a result, the bridge had to be completely rebuilt. 

The Britannia Bridge was originally designed and built by Robert Stephenson in 1850, a tubular bridge of iron box-sections; at the time, at 1,511 feet, it was the longest bridge of that type  in the world.  It was needed to accommodate the increasing popularity of rail travel  between London and Holyhead.    

Born on this day 1981 in Cardiff,

Gwenno Saunders , a dancer and musician, best known as a singer and keyboard player with The Pipettes. 

Born this day 1893 in Ystradgynlais,

Sir Tudor Thomas , an opthalmic surgeon, who in 1934 restored the sight of a man who had been blind for 27 years using a pioneering corneal grafting technique. He instigated the establishment in 1955 of a national eye bank.  

Born this day 1954 in Cwmgwrach, near Glynneath,

David "Dai" Richards , a former Wales and Lions rugby international.

The Roman road, Sarn Helen is named after Saint Elen whose feast day is celebrated today.

Saint Elen  is said to have been the daughter of the British King Octavius and the wife of Magnus Maximus (Macsen), Emperor in Britain, Gaul and Spain. She is said to have introduced into Wales the Celtic form of monasticism from Gaul. Elen's story is told in The Dream of Macsen Wledig, one of the tales included in the Mabinogion.

Elen is also remembered for having Macsen build roads across the country so that the soldiers could more easily defend it from attackers.

She is a patron of the churches of Llanelan on the Gower and at Penisa'r-waun near Caernarfon.  

Magnus Maximus was Western Roman Emperor from 383 to 388.  He became part of Welsh legend as Macsen Wledig in the Mabinogion. In 383 Maximus took advantage of the increasing dissent Against Roman emperor Gratian by invading Gaul with a large army. He also attempted to preserve the security of Britain, by organising the peaceful settlement of the Irish Deisi tribe in Dyfed, and also organised Cunedda and the Votadini tribe from Yr Hen Gogledd (Southern Scotland) to  deal with the aggressive Irish Ui Liatháin tribe in North Wales.

 Maximus ruled the Western Roman Empire until he was killed in 388, and there is no evidence to suggest that any Roman effort was made to regain control of the west or north and that year would be the effective end of the Roman era in Wales.

The Dream of Macsen Wledig (Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig) 

Macsen Wledig, the Emperor of Rome, dreamed of a lovely maiden in a faraway land. So vivid was the vision that he scoured the earth in search of her, eventually finding her at Segontium (Caernarfon). The girl, Elen, reciprocated Macsen's feelings, and in return for her hand, her father was awarded sovereignty over Britain. In Macsen's absence, however, a new emperor seized Rome. With the help of men from Britain led by Elen's brother Kynan Meriadoc, Macsen marched across Gaul and recaptured Rome. In gratitude to his British allies, Macsen rewarded them with the area of now known as Brittany. 

The marriage of Maximus and Elen resulted in British descendants such as their daughter, Sevira, commemorated on the Pillar of Eliseg (an early medieval inscribed stone near Llangollen) which says she was married to Vortigern, king of the Britons, which would make Maximus the founding father of several royal dynasties, including those of Powys and Gwent, whose kings would later use the authority of Magnus Maximus as the basis of their inherited political legitimacy.

Born this day 1949 in Denbigh,

Ieuan Wyn Jones , former Deputy First Minister of Wales and former leader of Plaid Cymru. 

Born this day 1949 in Llanelli,

Derek Quinnell , a former Wales and Lions rugby international, best remembered for his enthusiastic entry onto the pitch for his international debut for Wales against France in 1972. Unusually he had been capped by the Lions before his Wales debut.  

  In May 1949, the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire first met, with Huw T. Edwards as its first chairman.  

The formation of the Council was partially the result of pressure from Plaid Cymru. However, it had no real power and was intended to advise the UK government on matters of Welsh interest, including Rural Development and the Welsh Language. 

With the flooding of Capel Celyn, the Council for Wales recommended the creation of a Welsh Office and Secretary of State for Wales early in 1957, proposals which eventually came to fruition in 1964.  

The Hay Festival is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on-Wye in Powys for ten days at the end of May. Devised  in 1988, the festival was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind".  

The festival has expanded in recent years and now includes musical performances and film previews. A children's festival, "Hay Fever", runs alongside the main festival.