Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - National Library of Wales, was established in Aberystwyth by Royal Charter on this day in 1907

The library is regarded as one of the greatest in the world and has the right of legal deposit, which is the right to obtain a copy of every printed work published in Britain and Ireland without cost.   It has also made many of its most important manuscripts and books digitized and freely available on the library's website.    

Born this day 1921 in Caerphilly.

Tommy Cooper, comedian and magician.  At 6' 4", he was famed for his large and lumbering appearance, his catchphrase "Just like that" and for his ever-present red fez, which he started wearing when he was stationed in Cairo as part of the NAAFI entertainment party, during World War II.  Tommy collapsed and died during a "Live From Her Majesty's performance on Live TV on 15th April 1984.

Born on this day 1971 in Merthyr Tydfil.

Julien Macdonald - fashion designer whose creations have been worn by many top models and celebrities, such as, Joely Richardson, Dannii Minogue, Shirley Bassey,  Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé and Bonnie Tyler.

In 2000, Macdonald was appointed  chief designer of Paris fashion house of Givenchy and, in 2001, he was British Fashion Designer of the Year. He has also appeared as a judge on the television programme, Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model.

Macdonald however, has also been criticised for his use of fur, which resulted in himself and Paris Hilton being flour-bombed on one occasion.   

  Born on this day 1886 in  Pontymoile ,  P ontypool.

John "Jack" Phillips-Jones - Welsh rugby international, known as The Prince of Centres.  

Two of Jones's brothers, David and James, also played rugby for Wales and along with the Gould brothers, are the only family to do so.  Jones also played on two Lions tours, to Australasia in 1908 and South Africa in 1910.

On this day in 1536, Henry VIII commenced the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The  process which occurred between 1536 and 1541 and saw Henry disband the monasteries, convents, friaries and priories of England, Wales and Ireland.  The buildings were stripped and their lands sold off mainly to the landed gentry to increase their estates. 

Protestantism became the national religion, relics, colourful icons and pilgrimages were all banned and most Welsh Catholics seem to have reluctantly accepted these changes, however, those who resisted were fined and those who protested openly faced execution.  

The Allies failed attack on the Dardanelles, which commenced on 18th March 1915 during World War I, was instrumental in David Lloyd George becoming Prime Minister. 

The Ottoman Empire was originally a state founded by Turkish tribes in 1299 and when it conquered Constantinople in 1453, it became an empire in control of a large area around the Mediterranean basin.  By 1590, the empire also included parts of Africa, Asia and Europe and lasted until 1922, when the monarchy in Turkey was abolished and the Republic of Turkey was established. 

The Dardanelles is an extremely narrow strait in the northwest Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara and is considered to be one of the most crowded and dangerous waterways in the world due to the tides caused by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

During the First World War an Anglo-French operation against Turkey was intended to force the Dardanelles channel in order to occupy Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia.  On 18th March, the main attack  force entered the channel but was forced to retreat due to the ferocity of the Ottoman defence.

Further advances were attempted icluding vone on April 25 1915, where Australian and New Zealand troops took heavy losses and is remembered as ANZAC Day.   In January 1916, the campaign was halted, with the Allied casualties 213,980 causing serious political repercussions and giving the impression that the Allies were militarily inept.  

Both Churchill and  Prime Minister Asquith were forced to resign from government, which resulted in David Lloyd George becoming Prime Minister in December 1916.

Born this day, 1966 in Maidenhead, of Welsh descent 

Peter Jones - entrepreneur and businessman, who has appeared on the BBC television show Dragons Den (he refers to himself as the Welsh Dragon) and on the American television show American Inventor.  

Llywelyn Bren surrendered at Ystradfellte on March 18th 1316, after leading a revolt against the Anglo-Norman persecution of the people of Glamorgan.

In 1267 Llywelyn's father, Gruffudd ap Rhys, Lord of Senghenydd was dispossessed of his lordship by the powerful Anglo-Norman lord Gilbert de Clare, who then began the construction of Caerphilly Castle, the following year.

The death of Gilbert de Clare's son and heir at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 left a power vacuum in the region and in 1315, Edward II appointed an administrator, who proceeded to persecute the people of Glamorgan and in response Llywelyn appealed to Edward.  When his appeal was rebuffed and he himself was charged with treason,   Llywelyn laid siege to Caerphilly Castle on 28th January 1316 and burnt the town.  The revolt then quickly spread across South Wales forcing Edward to launch a two-pronged attack on Llywelyn from Cardiff and Hereford.

Llywelyn, at first, retreated, but realising that his position was now hopeless, he surrendered at Ystradfellte on March 18th and was imprisoned in the Tower of London.  His lands were seized by the crown and Hugh Despenser, reputedly King Edward's lover,  was given the Lordship of Glamorgan,

Then in 1318, in order to seize his estates, Despenser had Llywelyn executed without trial at Cardiff Castle and had the parts of his body exhibited in various part of the county, before burial in the Grey Friars at Cardiff. 

Further dissatisfaction with  Despenser led to  a revolt by an alliance of local Welsh and Marcher Lords which eventually led to the overthrow and death of Edward II and the execution of Despenser.  The estates in Senghenydd were restored to Llywelyn Bren's sons — Gruffydd, John, Meurig, Roger, William and Llywelyn in 1327. 

Was St Patrick Welsh?

It is believed that Saint Patrick was born c. 387 and died 17 March c. 460.  The Anglo-Saxons  referred to the indigenous Britons in areas not under their control as "Welsh" which comes from their word "waelisc" meaning, foreigner, or not one of us, so when we describe St Patrick as Welsh, it means, he may have come from an area including Strathclyde, Northumbria, all of modern day Wales or Cornwall and parts of Devon.

We do know that he was born in the Romano-British town of Banna Venta Bernia, but we do not know this town's location, many suggest it was in the Severn valley or St Davids, but there are also convincing suggestions that it may have been Ravenglass in Cumbria or in Strathclyde.  We also know that he came from a wealthy family, Calpornius, his father, was a deacon and, his grandfather Potitus, a priest, but there is no evidence that as a youngster Patrick was particularly religious.  Roman influence at this time was waning, in fact Wales had been virtually abandoned in 383 and Irish raiders were taking the opportunity to attack the undefended towns and take prisoners to use as slaves.   

When he was about sixteen, Patrick was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland, probably in County Mayo, where he spent six years working as a shepherd and turned to his Christian religion for solace.  It was then according to his writing, a voice, which he believed to be God's, spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to return to Britain.  He escaped by walking 200 miles to the coast and taking a boat back to his homeland, where he began religious training.  After his ordination as a priest, he was sent back to Ireland,  to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert those who were not Christian.

On this day, 2012 Wales won their eleventh Grand Slam 

FEBRUARY 5th                                         Ireland 21 - 23  Wales 

FEBRUARY 12th                                      Wales 27 - 13  Scotland 

FEBRUARY 25th                                     England 12 - 19  Wales 

MARCH 10th                                              Wales 24 - 3  Italy  

MARCH 17th                                              Wales 16 - 9  France

Born this day, 1943 in Ebbw Vale

Jeff Banks - who is a designer of clothing, jewellery and home furnishings.  He is perhaps best known as the creator and presenter of the BBC television programme The Clothes Show.  

The Iconic film "Grand Slam" was first aired on BBC this day in 1978.

On 16th March 1647 - Harlech Castle, the last Royalist stronghold of the English Civil War, surrendered to Parliament's forces after a 10-month siege.

Harlech Castle rests upon part of the Harlech Dome, a spur of rock almost 200 ft high, from which the land falls away sharply on the north and west, and a ditch cut into the rock protects the remaining approaches to the castle, it has been described as one of  the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe.  

In mythology, the site of Harlech Castle  is associated with the legend of Branwen, a Welsh princess written of in the Mabinogion and it is thought that the site was later a Llys (Welsh royal court) which later became a castle of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.

1282   After Edward I's successful campaign in North Wales, he ordered the construction of a castle at Harlech

1289   Harlech Castle completed

1294   Harlech Castle besieged by Madog ap Llywelyn during a Welsh uprising, but the castle held out

1404   The castle was taken by Owain Glyndwr and became his residence and military headquarters for four years

1405   Owain Glyndwr held his second parliament at Harlech Castle

1408   English forces under the command of the future Henry V placed Harlech Castle under siege.

1409   Harlech Castle fell to the English.

1460   During the Wars of The Roses, Queen Margaret of  Anjou fled to the castle and it was held by her Lancastrian supporters as their headquarters for the region.

1468   Harlech Castle was taken by the Yorkists after a month's siege, which is thought to be the inspiration for the song "Men of Harlech".

1644   Prince Rupert appointed a local Royalist, Colonel William Owen, as the castle's constable, and Owen was entrusted with repairing the fortifications.

1647   The castle was surrendered to Parliamentary forces after a 10-month siege, the last royal fortress to surrender in the war and Parliament ordered it's slighting to make the castle unusable, however, the orders were only partially carried out and it was not totally demolished.

1986  Harlech Castle gained World Heritage Status.

Born this day, 1751 in Orange County Virginia of Welsh descent

James Madison,  the fourth President of the United States.

At the outbreak of the American War of Independence, Madison devoted to politics and afterward took a leading role in drafting what would become the basis of the U.S. Constitution, which led to him being called the “Father of the Constitution”.

On Thomas Jefferson's election as President in 1800, Madison became Secretary of State and oversaw the acquisition of Louisiana  from France, which nearly doubled the size of the United States.

Madison was himself elected president in 1808 and his presidency was occupied with trade disputes between the United States, Britain, and France, which resulted in a war against Britain in 1812.

 Madison left office in 1817 and  although he had been a slaveholder, he campaigned for the anti-slavery cause and also helped Thomas Jefferson to found the University of Virginia.  

The Royal Welch Fusiliers were founded on 16th March 1689

They were originally formed to oppose James II  in the Williamite War in Ireland, fighting at the Battles of the Boyne and Aughrim.  It was one of the oldest regiments in the regular army, hence the archaic spelling of the word  Welch .  Soldiers of this regiment were distinguishable by the five overlapping black silk ribbons on the back of the uniform, which was a legacy of the time when soldiers wore pigtails.  

The regiment merged with the Royal Regiment of Wales on 1st March 2006, to form the Royal Welsh.   

Born this day, 1834 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania ( the son of Welsh immigrants )

William Farrand Prosser, who was a Union colonel in the American Civil War, and later served in the United States House of Representatives.

Born this day, 1906 in Cardiff

Maurice Turnbull, who was the only person to have played cricket for England and rugby for Wales. A talented all-round sportsman, he also represented Wales at field hockey and was squash champion for South Wales.

During the Second World War, he was a Major in the First Battalion of the Welsh Guards and was killed instantly by a sniper's bullet during intense fighting for the French village of Montchamp after the Normandy landings in 1944.

Born this day, 1977 in the Rhondda Valley

Steve Jones, who is a television presenter, best known as the host of The X Factor USA 

On this day, 1961 Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor married (for the first time) in Montreal.

It was while working on the movie Cleopatra, that Elizabeth and Richard (both married to others at the time), fell in love and their subsequent affair caused something of a scandal .   They were married in a low-key ceremony at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Montreal, with only nine people in attendance.

They became Hollywood's most high-profile couple, but it was a famously tempestuous relationship and the couple divorced in 1974.  However the following year, they secretly remarried in the remote village of Kasane, Botswana, but again things did not work out and divorced for the second time in 1976.    

Monmout h's 13th-century stone gated bridge is Britain's only preserved bridge of this design and on 15th March 2004, a second bridge was opened over the River Monnow, thus allowing the old bridge to become pedestrianised.

Born this day, 1809 in Norfolk, Virginia

Joseph Jenkins Roberts who was the first and seventh President of Liberia

His father is said to have been a planter of Welsh origin and his mother Amelia, who is described as a mulatto ( a person who is born from one white and one black parent ), was the planter's slave mistress, Joseph Roberts was therefore estimated to be seven-eighths European and therefore classified as an octoroon, someone who could easily have passed for a white man. Amelia gave all of her children but one the middle name of Jenkins, which suggests that may have been the name of their biological father.

Amelia was freed by the planter and married James Roberts, a free black man who established a successful business transporting goods by flatboat. Roberts emigrated to Liberia in 1829 as a young man, where he established a trading store and became interested in politics.

When Liberia gained its independence in 1847, Roberts became its first president and in 1872, was elected as its seventh. His presidency is notable for Liberia attaining recognition from Great Britain, France and many German cities and for developing agriculture, shipbuilding and developing trade links for the country.

* Liberia's main airport, Roberts International Airport and the town of Robertsport are named in honour of Roberts.

* His face is depicted on the Liberian ten dollar bill introduced in 1997.

* His birthday, March 15, is a national holiday in Liberia.

Born on this day 1969 in Seven Sisters

Geraint F. Lewis - astrophysicist, who is best known for his work on dark energy and galactic cannibalism.

Lewis, who was educated at Llangatwg Comprehensive, Neath Tertiary College and the Universities of London and Cambridge is a Professor of Astrophysics  at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy and head of the Gravitational Astrophysics Group. 

* Dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that is used to explain observations that indicate that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.

* Galactic cannibalism refers to the process by which a large galaxy merges with another.

On this day, 2010, Welsh rugby international Andy Powell was arrested near Junction 33 on the M4, in possession of a stolen golf buggy

Brecon born Andy Powell was charged with drink driving after he allegedly took and drove away a golf buggy, in the early hours following a rugby international between Wales and Scotland.  The golf buggy was taken from the Vale Hotel in the Vale of Glamorgan where the Wales team were staying.  Powell later told police that he took the buggy to get some breakfast at the nearby motorway services and apologised without hesitation, saying that it had been a misjudgement.  Powell was banned from driving for 15 months and fined £1,000, he was also dropped from the Welsh squad for the remainder of the championship.

Killed in action, this day 1916

Lou Phillips - former Welsh rugby international, who also won the Welsh Amateur Golfing Championship in 1907 and 1912.

Phillips was killed in action at Cambrai, on 14th March 1916, during World War I, whilst serving as a Sergeant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.   

Born on this day 1959 in Llanwrtyd Wells

Barry R. Clarke - puzzle designer, theoretical physicist, comedy sketch writer and Shakespeare authorship researcher.

Clarke has written and directed several award-winning short films and comedy sketches for "Alas Smith & Jones" and "Little and Large".  He also writes puzzles for several newspapers including The Daily Telegraph and also Reader's Digest.

On 13th March 2004, the town of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan celebrated the 750th anniversary of the granting of its charter in 1254. 

The history of Cowbridge goes back to Roman times but its first Charter was granted in 1254. At this time, long and narrow strips of land known as burgage plots, some of which are still visible today, were laid out and leased to the inhabitants and the town was surrounded by Town walls, with four gates.

There is also a memorial plaque for Iolo Morganwg, the 18th-century inventor of the modern day Eisteddfod, situated in Cowbridge, where he had established a shop.  

Born this day, 1913 in Cardiff.

Tessie O'Shea - entertainer and actress.

As a young girl, Tessie was billed as the "The Wonder of Wales" and by her teens, she was a regularly performing on Radio Wales. In the 1930s, she adopted the name "Two Ton Tessie from Tennessee" and was a frequently a headline act at the London Palladium, also appearing regularly on BBC TV's variety show, The Good Old Days.  

Born this day, 1942 in Solva, Pembrokeshire

Meic Stevens, Singer-songwriter, often referred to as the Welsh Bob Dylan.  

Born this day, 1981 in Newport 

Ryan Jones, Wales and Lions rugby international.

Jones is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams, being also captain of the 2008 Grand Slam side.  As a player he showed resilience to both injury and being replaced as captain, returning to become one of Wales's most respected players and a true warrior.    

On 13th March 1601 - Sir Gelli Meyrick, executed for his part in the Essex Rebellion, which was an unsuccessful rebellion led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex against Elizabeth I of England and the court faction led by Sir Robert Cecil to gain further influence at court.

Born c.1556, Meyrick was the eldest son of Rowland Meyrick, bishop of Bangor. At an early age, he became a soldier and became acquainted with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, who owned property in Wales.

He joined in the campaigns under Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the Low Countries and went with Essex on the expedition to Portugal in 1589, two years later to Normandy and the Capture of Cádiz in 1596, after which, he was knighted and presented with the manor and castle of Wigmore, Herefordshire, which he made his chief country residence.

When in January 1601 Essex had decided on raising an insurrection in the city, Meyrick armed many of his country friends with muskets and defended Essex House. The rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful and Meyrick was arrested and held in the Tower of London. He was sentenced to death on 5th March 1601. He declared himself willing to die, and explained that he merely acted under his master's orders. He was hanged at Tyburn on 13 March.

The WRU was founded on this day 1881   (Originally called the WFU Welsh Football Union)

Rugby was originally introduced to Wales at Lampeter College in the middle of the nineteenth century and in September 1875 the South Wales Football Club was created in Brecon, which was superseded in 1878 by the South Wales Football Union.  Then following Wales's first international match, against England on 19th February 1881, eleven clubs met in the Castle Hotel, Neath on 12th March 1881, to form the WFU (Welsh Football Union), which changed its name to, the Welsh Rugby Union in 1934, was adopted. The eleven founder clubs were   Lampeter, Swansea, Llandeilo,  Newport, Cardiff, Llanelli, Llandovery, Merthyr, Pontypool, Brecon and Bangor.    

The Llandow Air Disaster

On 12th March 1950, 80 of the 83 people on board an Avro Tudor V aircraft were killed when it crashed at Llandow in Glamorgan. At the time, it was the world's worst air disaster.

The aircraft had been privately hired to fly Welsh rugby supporters to and from an international game against Ireland in Belfast and the crash happened on the return flight in a field beside Park Farm close to the small hamlet of Sigingstone.

A court enquiry concluded that overloading was the probable cause of the accident and among those who lost their lives were three members of Abercarn RFC and six from Llanharan RFC, with both clubs honouring the memory of  the victims with symbolism on their club badges.  

On 12th March 2012, Roath Lock, the new BBC Wales Drama Village in Cardiff Bay was officially opened.

The studio is used by the BBC for programmes such as Doctor Who, Casualty and Pobol y Cwm.  

On 12th March 1984, the Miners Strike began, with a solid turnout from all NUM mines in Wales.

The miners' strike of 1984-1985 was one of Britain's most bitter industrial disputes.  It was caused by National Coal Board's announcement to close 20 pits with the loss of 20,000 jobs.  The National Union of Mineworkers, led by Arthur Scargill, responded by calling a national strike which lasted until 3rd March 1985. The miners were defeated but not broken as they returned to work accompanied by colliery bands and alongside their families and friends who had supported them throughout the dispute.

Born this day 1913 in Clydach, Rhondda

Tommy Farr nicknamed "the Tonypandy Terror", who is considered one of the greatest British heavyweight fighters of all time.

He fought Joe Louis for the world heavyweight championship on 30th August 1937 at the Yankee Stadium, New York and at the weigh-in before their fight Louis noticed scars on Farr's back - a result of Tommy's days in the coal mines and asked him how he had got them,Tommy replied that he had got them fighting tigers
The fight was a bruising encounter, Louis, who had won eight of his previous nine fights by a knockout and who subsequently went on to win his next seven fights the same way, was unable to put Tommy down and even though Louis eventually got the points decision, the majority of the 50,000 crowd thought that Tommy should have won and booed the decision. Controversially the referee had also seemed to have raised Farr's glove in victory.

Tommy retired in 1940 and tragically ended up broke, being forced to return to fighting at the age of 36 to make a living. He later ran a pub in Brighton and died on 1st March 1986, aged 72.

A musical based on Farr's career, Contender, was composed by Mal Pope, the theme being that his lack of success in the USA resulted from his refusal to co-operate with criminal gangs and crooked bookmakers in fight fixing.  

Today is the feast day of Saint Paul Aurelian.

Paul was the son of a Welsh chieftain named Perphirius ("clad in purple"), from Penychen in Glamorgan.  He was a pupil of Saint Illtud at Llantwit Major and a contemporary of Samson and Gildas on Caldey Island.  Afterwards, he travelled to Brittany, where he became the first bishop of Saint Pol de Lyon. He died c.575.

Born on this day 1944 in Bangor.

Tammy Jones (born Helen Wyn Jones) - singer. 

Jones starred in her own series on Welsh TV simply called, Tammy, as well as guest spots with Benny Hill, Tom Jones, The Bachelors, Dick Emery and Morecambe and Wise, before moving to New Zealand, where she stayed for over ten years, before returning to live in Wales.