This article is about the particular significance of the year 1965 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales - Jim Griffiths
• Archbishop of Wales - Edwin Morris
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Cynan

Events

• 17 May - Thirty-one miners are killed in an accident at the Cambrian Colliery, Clydach Vale, Rhondda.
• 17 December - A landslide on the main railway line at Bridgend kills a train driver and co-driver.
• Foundation of Undeb y Cymraeg Byw ("Union of Living Welsh").

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Newtown, Montgomeryshire)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - William David Williams
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Tom Parri Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Eigra Lewis Roberts

New books

• Gwilym Meredydd Jones - Dawns yr Ysgubau
• Julian Mitchell - The White Father

Music

• Tom Jones releases the film theme, "What's New, Pussycat?" as a single.

Film

• Richard Burton stars in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.
• Glynis Johns stars in Mary Poppins.
• Tryweryn, the Story of a Valley (film made by Friars School, Bangor).

Broadcasting

• BBC2 is received in South Wales for the first time.
• Arwel Hughes becomes Head of Music at BBC Wales.

Welsh-language television

English-language television

Sport

• Rugby union - Wales win the Triple Crown for the first time in 13 years.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Clive Rowlands

Births

• 5 January - Vinnie Jones, footballer
• 2 March - Lembit Öpik, politician
• 3 May - Rob Brydon, comedian and actor
• 9 November - Bryn Terfel, singer
• date unknown - Patrick Jones, poet and author

Deaths

• 22 April - Glyn Stephens, Wales international rugby union captain
• 3 May - Howard Spring, novelist
• 17 July (in Scarborough) - Dan Lewis, footballer
• 1 October - Gareth Hughes, actor
• 22 October - William Williams, Victoria Cross recipient
• 4 November - Ifor Williams, academic
• 8 November - George Henry Hall, politician
• 23 November - Murray Humphreys, Chicago mobster of Welsh descent
• 26 December - Llewellyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies, Victoria Cross recipient