A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 16 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 16 January?
- 27 BC Octavian is given the title Augustus by the Roman Senate
The Roman Senate gave Octavian the new title Augustus, meaning 'the revered'. - 1605 Cervantes's Don Quixote is published in Madrid
The first part of Don Quixote, by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, was published in Madrid. - 1707 Scotland's Parliament votes for union with England
The Parliament of Scotland voted by 110 votes to 69 to approve the Treaty of Union with England. - 1902 Born: Eric Liddell
Eric Liddell was a Scottish sprinter, rugby player and Christian missionary, born in China to Scottish parents. - 1909 Shackleton's expedition reaches the South Magnetic Pole
A team from Ernest Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition reached the estimated position of the South Magnetic Pole. - 1913 Ramanujan writes his first letter to mathematician G. H. Hardy
Srinivasa Ramanujan, a brilliant Indian mathematician who had been working on his own, wrote to G. H. Hardy at the University of Cambridge. - 1920 The League of Nations holds its first council meeting
The League of Nations held its first council meeting in Paris. - 2006 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf becomes Africa's first elected woman president
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as President of Liberia, in West Africa.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1605 | Cervantes's Don Quixote is published in Madrid | 2026 − 1605 = | |
| 1902 | Born: Eric Liddell | 2026 − 1902 = | |
| 1913 | Ramanujan writes his first letter to mathematician G. H. Hardy | 2026 − 1913 = | |
| 2006 | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf becomes Africa's first elected woman president | 2026 − 2006 = |
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!
- Octavian is given the title Augustus by the Roman Senate
- Shackleton's expedition reaches the South Magnetic Pole
- Scotland's Parliament votes for union with England
- Cervantes's Don Quixote is published in Madrid
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Ramanujan writes his first letter to mathematician G. H. Hardy”?
- A. 1969
- B. 1932
- C. 1913
In which year did this happen: “Shackleton's expedition reaches the South Magnetic Pole”?
- A. 1547
- B. 1605
- C. 1909
Which of these happened first?
- A. Scotland's Parliament votes for union with England
- B. Shackleton's expedition reaches the South Magnetic Pole
- C. Ramanujan writes his first letter to mathematician G. H. Hardy
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 16 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1605 → 421 years; 1902 → 124 years; 1913 → 113 years; 2006 → 20 years.
Order: 1 = Octavian is given the title Augustus by the Roman Senate (27 BC), 2 = Cervantes's Don Quixote is published in Madrid (1605), 3 = Scotland's Parliament votes for union with England (1707), 4 = Shackleton's expedition reaches the South Magnetic Pole (1909).
Quiz: 1. C (1913); 2. C (1909); 3. A (Scotland's Parliament votes for union with England).