A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 14 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 14 January?
- 1236 King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence
King Henry III of England married Eleanor of Provence, a noblewoman from the south of France, at Canterbury Cathedral. - 1784 The USA ratifies the peace treaty that ends its war with Britain
Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, the American Congress ratified, or officially approved, the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain. - 1886 Born: Hugh Lofting
Hugh Lofting was an English writer who created Doctor Dolittle, a doctor who can talk to animals in their own languages. - 1899 The giant liner Oceanic is launched in Belfast
The ocean liner RMS Oceanic was launched at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, watched by more than 50,000 people. - 1939 Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica
Norway claimed a huge region of Antarctica called Queen Maud Land, named after Norway's Queen Maud. - 1943 Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Casablanca Conference
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt began a meeting in Casablanca, Morocco, that lasted until 24 January. - 1973 Elvis Presley's Hawaii concert is broadcast by satellite
Elvis Presley, known as the 'King of Rock and Roll', performed a concert in Honolulu, Hawaii, called Aloha from Hawaii. - 1999 Born: Declan Rice
Declan Rice is an English footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for England.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1236 | King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence | 2026 − 1236 = | |
| 1886 | Born: Hugh Lofting | 2026 − 1886 = | |
| 1939 | Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica | 2026 − 1939 = | |
| 1973 | Elvis Presley's Hawaii concert is broadcast by satellite | 2026 − 1973 = |
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!
- King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence
- Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica
- The giant liner Oceanic is launched in Belfast
- The USA ratifies the peace treaty that ends its war with Britain
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Casablanca Conference”?
- A. 1886
- B. 1784
- C. 1943
In which year did this happen: “The USA ratifies the peace treaty that ends its war with Britain”?
- A. 1236
- B. 1899
- C. 1784
Which of these happened first?
- A. King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence
- B. The USA ratifies the peace treaty that ends its war with Britain
- C. Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Casablanca Conference
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 14 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1236 → 790 years; 1886 → 140 years; 1939 → 87 years; 1973 → 53 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence (1236), 2 = The USA ratifies the peace treaty that ends its war with Britain (1784), 3 = The giant liner Oceanic is launched in Belfast (1899), 4 = Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica (1939).
Quiz: 1. C (1943); 2. C (1784); 3. A (King Henry III marries Eleanor of Provence).