1961 in Wales

• Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin

• 16 February – The BP Explorer, a loaded tanker barge bound for Sharpness from Swansea, turns over in the Severn Estuary.
• 17 February – The BP Explorer is seen bouncing upside down through the recently wrecked (October 26, 1960) Severn Railway Bridge. Her crew of five men are killed.^[1]
• 1 October – Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff, hosts the first-ever broadcast of the long-running national BBC Television series Songs of Praise.^[2]
• 8 November – In a referendum on Sunday opening of public houses, the counties of Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Caernarfonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire all vote to stay "dry".^[3]
• 9 November – Rosemarie Frankland, originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, wins the Miss World title.^[4]
• 19 November – During construction of the Severn Bridge three men fall into the river. A rescue boat crewed by two men sets sail from Chepstow, not knowing that the three men have been picked up safely by a ferry, the Severn Princess. Two empty tanker barges coming down from Sharpness collide with the rescue boat, which has no navigation lights. One member of the rescue boat crew is drowned.
• The Llyn Celyn reservoir is constructed in the valley of the River Tryweryn in North Wales to provide water for Liverpool, destroying the village of Capel Celyn.
• Gwynfor Evans becomes president of the Celtic League.
• Formation in Pontypridd of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith entirely of native Welsh Baháʼís.^[5]

• Keith Baxter makes his Broadway debut as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons.

National Eisteddfod of Wales, held in Rhosllanerchrugog:

• Chairing of the Bard – Emrys Edwards
• Crowning of the Bard – L. Haydn Lewis
• Prose Medal – withheld
• Gold Medal: Fine Art – Ceri Richards

• Dannie Abse – The Eccentric^[6]
• Richard Hughes – The Fox in the Attic
• Bertrand Russell – Fact and Fiction
• Emlyn Williams – George
• Raymond Williams – The Long Revolution^[7]

• Pennar Davies – Yr Efrydd o Lyn Cynon^[8]
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Tabyrddau'r Tabongo
• W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) – Ffenestri
• Caradog Prichard – Un Nos Ola Leuad^[9]

• Alun Hoddinott – Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion

• Ronald Lewis stars in Scream of Fear and Stop Me Before I Kill.
• Victor Spinetti makes his screen debut in The Gentle Terror.
• Clifford Evans stars in The Curse of the Werewolf.
• Pirates of Tortuga, American adventure based on the Welsh privateer, Henry Morgan

• Ambell i Gan
• Pwt o'r Papur
• Gair o Gyngor

• 7 April – The Independent Television Authority (ITA) invites bids for its west and north Wales licence.^[10] On 6 June, the franchise is awarded to the Wales Television Association.
• 20 June – The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, Reginald Bevins, informs the Wales Television Association that approval has been given for an ITA transmitter in the Flint-Denbigh area.

• Boxing – Howard Winstone wins the British featherweight title.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Bryn Meredith^[11]

• 24 January – Tarki Micallef, professional footballer
• 7 May – Phil Campbell, rock guitarist^[12]
• 5 July – Gareth Jones ("Gaz Top"), television presenter
• 7 July – Steve Brace, long-distance runner
• 8 August – Simon Weston, war hero^[13]
• 18 August – Huw Edwards, newsreader^[14]
• 30 August
  • Denise Gyngell, pop singer and actress
  • Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, charity worker and Labour peer
• 29 September – Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (in Barry)^[15]
• 20 October – Ian Rush, footballer
• 1 November – Nicky Grist, racing driver
• date unknown
  • Ifor ap Glyn, Welsh-language poet and television presenter^[16]
  • Twm Morys, poet