1908 in Wales

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - George
• Princess of Wales - Mary
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Dyfed

  Events

• 3 January - Formal opening of the residence at St Deiniol's Library.
• 22 January - J. Lloyd Williams delivers his paper on Welsh National Melodies and Folk-Songs to the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.
• 28 January - In a colliery explosion at Ammanford, David Rees Griffiths is seriously injured. His brother is one of two men killed.
• March - Frank Mason, editor of the Tenby Observer, challenges the local council's right to ban him from their meetings. The Admission of the Press Act, 1908 is passed as a result.
• 26 February - In the West Carmarthenshire by-election, the sitting Liberal MP, John Lloyd Morgan, retains the seat in the absence of any other candidates.
• 5 March - Edgeworth David leads the party attempting the ascent of Mount Erebus in the Antarctic.
• 18 June - A giant turtle weighing half a ton is pulled from the sea at Pwllheli.
• 16 July - In the Pembrokeshire by-election, brought about by elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Liberal MP, John Wynford Philipps, the seat is retained for the Liberals by Walter Francis Roch.
• 1 September - The barque Amazon sinks off Margam Sands, with the loss of 18 crew.
• November – The North and South Wales Bank is absorbed into the London City and Midland Bank, bringing an end to banknote issue in Wales.
• date unknown
• *The South Wales Miners' Federation becomes affiliated to the Labour Party.
• *The Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 limits the amount of time spent by coal miners underground.
• *John Ballinger becomes first librarian of the National Library of Wales.
• *A factory for making artificial silk opens at Greenfield in north-east Wales.
• *Construction work begins on the lighthouse at Strumble Head.
• *Spa pump room built at Caergwrle.

  Arts and literature

• Sydney Curnow Vosper completes his iconic watercolour of Welsh piety, Salem.

  Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales - held in Llangollen
• *Chair - John James Williams, "Ceiriog"
• *Crown - Hugh Emyr Davies

  New books

English language

• W. H. Davies - Autobiography of a Super-Tramp
• W. Jenkyn Thomas - The Welsh Fairy Book

  Welsh language

• Silyn Roberts - Y Blaid Lafur Anibynnol, ei Hanes a'i Hamcan
• Gwyneth Vaughan - Plant y Gorthrwm
• Eliseus Williams - Telynegion Maes a Môr

  Music

• David Evans becomes professor of the Music department at University of Wales, Cardiff.
• Harry Evans - Dafydd ap Gwilym

  Sport

• Boxing
• *24 February - Jim Driscoll wins the Commonwealth featherweight title.
• Olympics
• *October - At the postponed 1908 Summer Olympics, Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, competes unsuccessfully in the motorboat racing.
• Rugby league
• *1 January - The first-ever international match is held at Aberdare, where Wales defeat New Zealand 9 - 8. The match was won by a last minute try from former Welsh rugby union international Dai Jones.
• *Aberdare RLFC, Barry RLFC, Mid-Rhondda RLFC and Treherbert RLFC are formed, joining Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil in competing for the Welsh League, the first Welsh rugby league competition.
• Rugby union
• *Wales win their first Grand Slam and fifth Triple Crown.
• *The selection of players for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia results in a comment by the Welsh Rugby Union that players for future tours should be chosen '...irrespective of the social position of the players.'

  Births

• 29 February – Louie Myfanwy Thomas, novelist as Jane Ann Jones
• 22 March – Martin Davies, art historian
• 8 May – Bert Day, Wales international rugby union player
• 29 May – Diana Morgan, playwright and screenwriter
• 5 July – Francis Jones, heraldic expert
• 10 July – Donald Peers, singer
• 12 July – Bill Roberts, footballer
• 15 August – Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, journalist
• 14 December – Claude Davey, Wales international rugby union player

  Deaths

• 6 January – Lewis Pugh Pugh, lawyer and politician, 70
• 13 January – Caroline Elizabeth Williams, radical and champion of women's rights, 84
• 1 February – Buckley Roderick, Wales international rugby player, 46
• 27 February – Norman Biggs, Wales international rugby player, 37
• 7 March – Richard Edwards, Welsh American educator, 85
• 21 June – Allen Raine, novelist, 71
• 24 August – William Bevan, archdeacon of Brecon, 87
• 4 September – Thomas Judson, Wales international rugby player, 51
• 19 October
• *Catherine Lynch, alcoholic, 28
• *John Henry Puleston, journalist and politician, 78
• 9 November – Solomon Andrews, entrepreneur, 73
• 1 December – Howell Jones, Wales international rugby player, 26
• 24 December – David John, Mormon leader, 75