On This Day: Cardiff became the capital of Wales

December 20, 1955: Cardiff becomes the capital city of Wales. Wales is a country in the United Kingdom. Its eastern border abuts England with the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to the west. It is bilingual with Welsh and English both being spoken. Cardiff or Caerdydd is the largest city in Wales or Cymru. The country was first settled by Celts but many Roman forts remain in evidence of Rome's historic presence. After the Romans left in ≈ 410, the Celts reasserted themselves. They were able to maintain independence from the Anglo-Saxons for a time. The English conquest of Wales occurred in 1284, but Welsh law remained intact until 1542.

Cardiff is not only the capital, but also a center for education, business, sports, culture, media, and tourism. About 317,500 people call it home. It was a small town until the early 1800s and became a city in 1905. The major port brought in businesses to support coal transport and the area became more industrialized. The city itself is only 2.6 square miles while the urban area is 54.1 square miles but this increase in land only increases population to 327,700.

The name Cardiff is the most modern given to the area. After the Romans left, it was called Brythonic, meaning "the fort on the Taff" – the river Cardiff Castle was built on. The Roman fort was built around 75 AD and abandoned after they left. In 1091, Robert Fitzhamon began to work at restoration of the Castle inside the walls of the fort. The Castle has been at the heart of the city ever since. During the Victorian era, the Castle was greatly expanded.

King Edward VII granted Cardiff city status on October 28, 1905. The town held only 6,342 people in 1801. By 1901 there were 172,699 people there and just ten years later, there were 209,804. The city is thoroughly modern while respecting its rich history. There are two castles attesting to ancient inhabitation. The skyline features skyscrapers and a cathedral as well as the Wales Millennium Centre – a center for performing arts. There are four major institutions for higher learning and eighty-six state primary schools, eleven infant schools, ten junior schools and twenty state secondary schools, along with a number of independent schools in this member city of the Eurocities network.

+++
"Each section of the British Isles has its own way of laughing, except Wales, which doesn't." - Stephen Leacock

"Wales is the land of my fathers. And my fathers can have it." - Dylan Thomas

"Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name BZJXXLLWCP is pronounced Jackson." - Mark Twain

"I rather like my reputation, actually, that of a spoiled genius from the Welsh gutter, a drunk, a womanizer; it's rather an attractive image." - Richard Burton