This article is about the particular significance of the year 1894 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Clwydfardd (until 30 October)
Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey – Richard Davies
Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire – Joseph Bailey, 1st Baron Glanusk
Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire – John Ernest Greaves
Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire – Herbert Davies-Evans
Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire – John Campbell, 2nd Earl Cawdor
Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire – William Cornwallis-West
Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire – Hugh Robert Hughes
Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan – Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire – W. R. M. Wynne
Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire – Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort
Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire – Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet
Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington
Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire – Arthur Walsh, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite
Bishop of Bangor – Daniel Lewis Lloyd
Bishop of Llandaff – Richard Lewis
Bishop of St Asaph – Alfred George Edwards
Bishop of St Davids – Basil Jones
Events
19 February – The first new intermediate school in Wales opens at Caernarfon. Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen is one of the first Welsh medium schools. 10 March – T. E. Ellis is appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury in the Gladstone's fourth ministry, and becomes Chief Whip of the Liberal Party. March/April – In the "Welsh Revolt", MPs Herbert Lewis, David Alfred Thomas, David Lloyd George and Frank Edwards resign the Liberal whip. 23 June – A firedamp explosion at Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, Glamorgan, results in the death of 290 coal miners and 123 horses underground, making it the worst disaster in Welsh mining history to date (it will be exceeded only by that at Senghenydd in 1913). August The Prince of Wales attends the National Eisteddfod. Owen Morgan Edwards makes his first report on county schools in Wales unknown dates Dissolution of the North Wales Scholarship Association. John Philipps, later 1st Viscount St Davids, resigns as MP for Mid Lanarkshire. Richard Mills the younger establishes the Rhos Herald, a weekly bilingual newspaper, with himself as editor.
Arts and literature
Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales – held at Caernarfon
Chair – Howell Elvet Lewis, "Hunanaberth" Crown – Ben Davies, "Tennyson"
New books
English language
Sir John Rhys – Outlines of the Phonology of the Manx Gaelic
Welsh language
Evan Thomas Davies (Dyfrig) – Pregethau ac Anerchiadau
W. J. Davis – Hanes Plwyf Llandysul, first publication by Gomer Press, Llandysul
Owen Morgan Edwards – Ystraeon o Hanes Cymru
Daniel Owen – Gwen Tomos
Sarah Winifred Parry – Sioned (serialization begins)
Music
Sir Henry Walford Davies – Sonata No. 1 in E minor, for Piano and Violin
Spillers Records is founded in Cardiff; by 2010 it will be regarded the world's oldest surviving record shop.
Sport
Cricket
22 June / 23 June – Glamorgan play against the touring South Africans. The Glamorgan team contains three Wales rugby internationals, Billy Bancroft, Selwyn Biggs and Ralph Sweet-Escott. William Brain plays his first match for Glamorgan. Football The Welsh Cup is won by Chirk for the fifth time in its 15-year history. The North Wales Coast League is established. Rugby union 1 January – Gwyn Nicholls plays his first match for Cardiff. Abercrave RFC, Llanhilleth RFC and Ynysddu RFC are founded.
Births
14 March – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player (died 1969) 21 March – William Hubert Vaughan, public servant (died 1959) 16 May – Sir Leonard Twiston Davies, patron of the arts (died 1953) 23 June – Prince Edward (later Prince of Wales, Edward VIII then Duke of Windsor; died 1972) 4 July – Ambrose Bebb, author and politician (died 1955) 10 July – Emrys Hughes, politician (died 1969) 31 July – Fred Keenor, footballer (died 1972) 23 August – Gareth Hughes, actor (died 1965) 27 August – Ike Fowler, dual-code international rugby union player (died 1981) 22 October – Llew Edwards, featherweight boxer (died 1965) 30 October – Peter Warlock, composer (died 1930)