This article is about the particular significance of the year 1948 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales vacant
• Princess of Wales vacant
• Archbishop of Wales David Prosser, Bishop of St David's
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Wil Ifan

Events

• 21 May - Hugh Dalton is appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
• 24 June - Thomas Williams is created 1st Baron Williams of Ynyshir.
• 1 July - The National Museum of Wales opens the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagans to the public, the first open-air museum in the UK (director: Iorwerth Peate).
• October - Opening of the Hoover washing machine factory at Merthyr Tydfil.
• Aneurin Bevan is instrumental in the passing of the Local Government Act and National Assistance Act.
• Ness Edwards joins the Privy Council.
• Creation of the Welsh Joint Education Committee.
• Beginning of nylon manufacture at Pontypool.
• Jim Griffiths becomes Chairman of the Labour Party.
• The Council for Wales and Monmouthshire is established as an advisory body.
• A residential Welsh-medium preparatory school for boys is founded at Llanilar in Cardiganshire.
• Physicist Rhisiart Morgan Davies publishes the results of his work on stress waves.

Arts and literature

• Kingsley Amis becomes a lecturer at the University of Wales, Swansea.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bridgend)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - D. Emrys James
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Euros Bowen
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Robert Ivor Parry

New books

• Ambrose Bebb - Gadael tir
• Sir Alfred Thomas Davies - The Lloyd George I Knew
• Aneirin Talfan Davies - Eliot, Pwshcin, Poe
• William Eames & Megan Ellis - Melin y Dd l
• Griffith Wynne Griffith - Ffynnon Bethlehem
• Robert David Griffith - Hanes Canu Cynulleidfaol Cymru
• Isaac Daniel Hooson - Y Gwin a Cherddi Eraill
• David James Jones (Gwenallt) - Bywyd a Gwaith Islwyn
• Jack Jones - Some Trust in Chariots
• Griffith John Williams - Traddodiad Llenyddol Morgannwg

New drama

• Saunders Lewis - Blodeuwedd

Music

• Arwel Hughes - String Quartet No. 1
• David Wynne - Sonata for violin and piano

Film

• Glynis Johns stars in Miranda.
• Hugh Griffith appears in London Belongs to Me
• Wandering Through Wales

Broadcasting

Sport

• Athletics Tom Richards finishes second in the marathon at the London Olympics, becoming the first Welshman to win an individual athletics medal at the Olympics.
• Equestrian events Sir Harry Llewellyn wins a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London.
• Rugby Union
  • 21 February France beats Wales 3 11 at the St Helen's Ground in Swansea.

Births

• 22 January - Roger Williams, UK politician
• 4 March - Shakin' Stevens, singer
• 1 April
  • Dai Davies, footballer
  • Peter Law, politician
  • J.J. Williams, rugby player
• 2 April - Tom David, Wales international rugby union and rugby league player
• 14 May - Albert Alan Owen, composer
• 18 May - Keith Jarrett, rugby player
• 26 May (in London) - Jenny Randerson, politician
• 4 June (in Glasgow) - Jeff Cuthbert, politician
• 14 June - Ffred Ffransis, political activist
• 2 August - Andy Fairweather-Low, musician
• 9 August - Jackie Lawrence, politician
• 12 September - Neville Meade (in Jamaica), heavyweight boxer (d. 2010)
• 24 October - Phil Bennett, rugby player
• 14 November (in London) - Charles, future Prince of Wales
• 25 November - Paul Murphy, politician
• 26 December - Steve Curtis, boxer (d. 1994)
• date unknown
  • Alan Llwyd, poet
  • Manon Rhys, writer

Deaths

• 12 January - Wilfred Bailey, 3rd Baron Glanusk, 56
• 21 February - Tom Pook, Wales international rugby union player, 78
• 8 March - Charlie Thomas, Wales international rugby player
• 25 April - Arthur Boucher, Wales international rugby union player, 77
• 30 April - David Daniel, Wales international rugby union player, 77
• 17 May - David Evans, organist and composer, 74
• 9 June - Len Trump, Wales international rugby player, 61
• 18 July - John Tywi Jones, Baptist minister and journalist (born 1870)
• 20 August - David John de Lloyd, composer, 65
• 28 August - Charles Evans Hughes, American politician of Welsh descent, 86
• 4 October - Arthur Whitten Brown, British aviator, in Swansea, 62
• 18 October - Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet, 68
• 17 November - B. B. Mann, Wales international rugby union player, 90