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A Day in the Past · history worksheet

On this day: 11 January

Name: Class: Date:

1. What happened on 11 January?

  1. 1569 England's first official lottery is drawn
    The first recorded official lottery in England was drawn, three years after Queen Elizabeth I approved it.
  2. 1787 William Herschel discovers two moons of Uranus
    Astronomer William Herschel spotted two moons travelling around the planet Uranus.
  3. 1879 British forces invade the Zulu Kingdom, starting the Anglo-Zulu War
    British troops led by Lord Chelmsford crossed the border into the Zulu Kingdom, in what is now South Africa.
  4. 1908 Theodore Roosevelt makes the Grand Canyon a national monument
    US President Theodore Roosevelt made the Grand Canyon in Arizona a national monument, to help protect it.
  5. 1923 French and Belgian troops occupy Germany's Ruhr region
    Troops from France and Belgium moved into the Ruhr, an important industrial area of Germany.
  6. 1927 Louis B. Mayer announces the academy behind the Oscars
    Film studio boss Louis B. Mayer invited 36 people from the film industry to a banquet at a hotel in Los Angeles.
  7. 1935 Amelia Earhart flies solo from Hawaii to California
    American pilot Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly alone from Honolulu, in Hawaii, to Oakland, in California.
  8. 1964 A landmark US report warns that smoking harms health
    Experts advising the US Surgeon General, one of America's top health officials, published a famous report about smoking.

2. How long ago?

This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.

YearWhat happenedSumYears ago
1569England's first official lottery is drawn2026 − 1569 =
1879British forces invade the Zulu Kingdom, starting the Anglo-Zulu War2026 − 1879 =
1923French and Belgian troops occupy Germany's Ruhr region2026 − 1923 =
1935Amelia Earhart flies solo from Hawaii to California2026 − 1935 =

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!

4. Quick quiz

  1. In which year did this happen: “William Herschel discovers two moons of Uranus”?

    • A. 1987
    • B. 1569
    • C. 1787

  2. In which year did this happen: “England's first official lottery is drawn”?

    • A. 1922
    • B. 1569
    • C. 1987

  3. Which of these happened first?

    • A. England's first official lottery is drawn
    • B. British forces invade the Zulu Kingdom, starting the Anglo-Zulu War
    • C. William Herschel discovers two moons of Uranus

5. Draw it!

Draw your favourite event from 11 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.

Answers for teachers

How long ago: 1569 → 457 years; 1879 → 147 years; 1923 → 103 years; 1935 → 91 years.

Order: 1 = England's first official lottery is drawn (1569), 2 = William Herschel discovers two moons of Uranus (1787), 3 = British forces invade the Zulu Kingdom, starting the Anglo-Zulu War (1879), 4 = Theodore Roosevelt makes the Grand Canyon a national monument (1908).

Quiz: 1. C (1787); 2. B (1569); 3. A (England's first official lottery is drawn).