A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 6 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 6 January?
- 1066 Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England
Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England, becoming King Harold II. He was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. - 1367 Born: Richard II
Richard II was King of England from 1377 until 1399. - 1540 Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves
King Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves, a German princess, who became his fourth wife and Queen of England. - 1781 British forces defeat a French invasion at the Battle of Jersey
French forces landed on Jersey, in the Channel Islands, to try to take the British-ruled island. - 1907 Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome
Italian doctor and educator Maria Montessori opened her first school and day-care centre, for children from working-class families in Rome. - 1912 Alfred Wegener presents his idea that the continents drift
German scientist Alfred Wegener presented his theory of continental drift, the idea that continents slowly move, to the German Geological Society. - 1957 Born: Michael Foale
Michael Foale is a British-American astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut who flew on six space missions. - 1974 The USA keeps its clocks on summer time all year round
The United States began a trial of daylight saving time all year round.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1066 | Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England | 2026 − 1066 = | |
| 1540 | Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves | 2026 − 1540 = | |
| 1907 | Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome | 2026 − 1907 = | |
| 1957 | Born: Michael Foale | 2026 − 1957 = |
3. Put them in order
Write 1 next to the oldest event, then 2, 3 and so on up to the newest. Use list 1 to help you!
- Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves
- Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome
- Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England
- British forces defeat a French invasion at the Battle of Jersey
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves”?
- A. 2014
- B. 1066
- C. 1540
In which year did this happen: “Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England”?
- A. 2014
- B. 1066
- C. 1367
Which of these happened first?
- A. Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England
- B. Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves
- C. British forces defeat a French invasion at the Battle of Jersey
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 6 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1066 → 960 years; 1540 → 486 years; 1907 → 119 years; 1957 → 69 years.
Order: 1 = Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England (1066), 2 = Henry VIII marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves (1540), 3 = British forces defeat a French invasion at the Battle of Jersey (1781), 4 = Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome (1907).
Quiz: 1. C (1540); 2. B (1066); 3. A (Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England).