History of Aberystwyth
1980-2000
1980
World Population
- -6000
- 0.01
- -4000
- 0.02
- -2000
- 0.03
- -1000
- 0.05
- - 500
- 0.10
- 1
- 0.20
- 1000
- 0.31
- 1750
- 0.79
- 1800
- 0.98
- 1850
- 1.26
- 1900
- 1.65
- 1950
- 2.52
- 1955
- 2.76
- 1960
- 2.98
- 1965
- 3.33
- 1970
- 3.69
- 1975
- 4.07
- 1980
- 4.43
- 1985
- 4.83
- 1990
- 5.26
- 1995
- 5.67
- 2000
- 6.07
- 2005
- 6.45
1981
Census
Population 8636
1982
Computer Virus
Elk Cloner - 1st computer virus
January: Cold
Cold spell in mid January, produces heavy drifting show, Aberystwyth cut off - harbour froze over, supplies dropped in by helicopter. First week of college term cancelled.
March 19-June 14: War
United Kingdom at war with Argentina over the ownership of the Falkland Islands
November 1: S4C
Start of the television channel S4C, part of whose output is in Welsh
1984
Early March: Miners Strike
Year long miners strike starts.
July 19: Earthquake
Earthquake felt in Aberystwyth at 6.56am Magnitude 5.4, epicentre Lleyn Peninsula
December 3: Leak
A leak of Methyl Isocyanate gas from a pesticide production plant next to the Central Indian city of Bhopal was the world's worst industrial disaster.
1985
World Population
- -6000
- 0.01
- -4000
- 0.02
- -2000
- 0.03
- -1000
- 0.05
- - 500
- 0.10
- 1
- 0.20
- 1000
- 0.31
- 1750
- 0.79
- 1800
- 0.98
- 1850
- 1.26
- 1900
- 1.65
- 1950
- 2.52
- 1955
- 2.76
- 1960
- 2.98
- 1965
- 3.33
- 1970
- 3.69
- 1975
- 4.07
- 1980
- 4.43
- 1985
- 4.83
- 1990
- 5.26
- 1995
- 5.67
- 2000
- 6.07
- 2005
- 6.45
Projecting Telescope
New Camera Obscura opened on Constitution Hill
Alex
Built in 1896, Alexandra Hall is closed down and sold. For 2 decades there were various private attempts to run it as a hostel but mostly it stood empty. After major renovation in 2004/5 the university is again offering it to students via a private partnership.
1986
January 24: Peek at Uranus
Launched in 1977, American spacecraft Voyager 2 - scanned Uranus as it flew by.
April 25/26: Radiation
A test run of one of the reactors at Chernobyl (Soviet Ukraine) nuclear power station resulted in an explosion that destroyed the reactor and resulted in the world's worst radiation leak.
1987
October 16: Hurricane
Hurricane hits Aberystwyth
1988
Chemistry
University chemistry department closed down
September 29: New Jetty
1989
August 25: Peek at Neptune
Launched in 1977, American spacecraft Voyager 2 - scanned Neptune as it flew by.
Private Railway
Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge railway privatised
Spring: King's Hall demolished
After years of being unused Neuadd Y Brenin/The King's Hall is demolished. Despite being declared unsafe, it was no push over - and the demolition schedule was drawn out as welders with cutting equipment were called in.
Librarianship Merged
College of Librarianship Wales (opened in 1964) becomes part of the university
May 19: Stone Roses
Stone Roses play at the University
1990
World Population
- -6000
- 0.01
- -4000
- 0.02
- -2000
- 0.03
- -1000
- 0.05
- - 500
- 0.10
- 1
- 0.20
- 1000
- 0.31
- 1750
- 0.79
- 1800
- 0.98
- 1850
- 1.26
- 1900
- 1.65
- 1950
- 2.52
- 1955
- 2.76
- 1960
- 2.98
- 1965
- 3.33
- 1970
- 3.69
- 1975
- 4.07
- 1980
- 4.43
- 1985
- 4.83
- 1990
- 5.26
- 1995
- 5.67
- 2000
- 6.07
- 2005
- 6.45
Hall Closed
University's student residence, Padarn Hall, turned into shops and offices.
Built around 1727 as the Gogerddan Arms it has been -> New Black Lion(?) -> by 1835: Lion Royal Hotel -> Padarn Hall.
April 2: Earthquake
Earthquake felt in Aberystwyth at 14.50 Magnitude 5.1, epicentre Bishop's Castle (Shropshire)
1991
August 6: World Wide Web
Programs that started the 'world wide web' released
1992
National Eisteddfod
National Eisteddfod comes to Aberystwyth
1994
April 6-mid July: Rwandan Genocide
Well over 500,000 people are killed over a period of 100 days Rwandan Genocide
May 6: Tunnel to the Mainland
Official opening of the 51km tunnel connecting England to mainland Europe
1995
World Population
- -6000
- 0.01
- -4000
- 0.02
- -2000
- 0.03
- -1000
- 0.05
- - 500
- 0.10
- 1
- 0.20
- 1000
- 0.31
- 1750
- 0.79
- 1800
- 0.98
- 1850
- 1.26
- 1900
- 1.65
- 1950
- 2.52
- 1955
- 2.76
- 1960
- 2.98
- 1965
- 3.33
- 1970
- 3.69
- 1975
- 4.07
- 1980
- 4.43
- 1985
- 4.83
- 1990
- 5.26
- 1995
- 5.67
- 2000
- 6.07
- 2005
- 6.45
March 16: Slavery USA
Although a 1865 amendment to the US constitution banned slavery it was not accepted by all the states. Mississippi did not ratify the amendment until 1995.
1996
April 1: Dyfedless
Having been created in 1974, the county of Dyfed was broken up into three unitary authorities.
May 31: Queen Cancelled
Aberystwyth makes the national headline news when the final 1/3rd of the Queen's visit is abandoned because of egg throwing nationalist students protesting on Pengalis Campus.
1997
July 4: Mars Rover
American spacecraft Mars Pathfinder - delivers the 1st rover to Mars.
September 18: Devolution Vote
1998
Hospital demolished
North Road Hospital closed and demolished
Nov 3: Fire
Fanned by an on shore breeze, a small fire that started in the derelict SeaBank Hotel (on the prom) spread to destroy Plyn' & Caerleon Halls of residence despite the efforts of over 100 fire fighters from as far away as Bangor and Swansea. Both halls have since been completely rebuilt.
1999
Welsh Assembly
Formation of Welsh Assembly extends the level of autonomy of Wales