Key historic and social events in Wales over the last century have been brought to life with the launch of a huge film and photo archive on the net.

Pathe News covered events from round the world before the heyday of television and now forgotten treasures from the archives have been brought together to create an online database of history.

Pathe covered events for 60 years

Films available on the �2m British Pathe site include the harrowing scenes from the Aberfan disaster in 1966 to moments of celebration, such as Wales' 13-8 win over Scotland in 1931.

Pathe was a staple source of visual news between 1910 and 1970 and the online database features 3,500 hours of footage from tens of thousands of stories.

Path� history

Began in 1890's Paris where founder, Charles Path�, pioneered the development of the moving image Established in London in 1902, and by 1910 was producing bi-weekly newsreel, the Path� Gazette Finished in 1970

Key events from the 20th Century include both world wars, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.

Footage from Wales on the website includes Queen Mary's tour of Wales in 1938, and former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan unveiling a statue of David Lloyd George in Cardiff.

There are also important images of day-to-day life in Wales captured for posterity.

The Aberfan disaster devastated the community

The archive also includes 1950s footage of holidaymakers in north Wales, new animals settling in at Colwyn Bay Zoo, the Blaenau Ffestiniog railway, the heyday of slate quarrying, and the world's oldest working steam railway at Tal-y-llyn.

Sports fans can revel in footage of heavyweight boxing champion Jack Petersen returning home to Cardiff in 1932 to show off his belt.

In the same year, the Prince of Wales was given a rousing reception during a visit to the Rhondda Valley.