A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 17 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 17 January?
- 1648 Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses against Charles I
During the English Civil War, Parliament voted to stop all talks with King Charles I. MPs had heard that the king was making a deal with the Scots. - 1706 Born: Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an American printer, scientist, inventor and statesman. - 1773 Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle
On his second great voyage, Captain James Cook sailed HMS Resolution south of the Antarctic Circle. - 1820 Born: Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the youngest of the famous Brontë sisters. - 1904 Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard opens in Moscow
The Cherry Orchard, the last play by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, was performed for the first time at the Moscow Art Theatre. - 1912 Captain Scott's team reaches the South Pole
British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott and four companions reached the South Pole. - 1917 The USA buys the Virgin Islands from Denmark
The United States paid Denmark 25 million dollars for its Caribbean colony, the Danish West Indies. - 1946 The UN Security Council meets for the first time, in London
The United Nations Security Council held its very first meeting at Church House, Westminster, in London.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1648 | Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses against Charles I | 2026 − 1648 = | |
| 1773 | Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle | 2026 − 1773 = | |
| 1904 | Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard opens in Moscow | 2026 − 1904 = | |
| 1917 | The USA buys the Virgin Islands from Denmark | 2026 − 1917 = |
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!
- Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard opens in Moscow
- Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle
- Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses against Charles I
- Captain Scott's team reaches the South Pole
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle”?
- A. 1773
- B. 1904
- C. 1648
In which year did this happen: “Captain Scott's team reaches the South Pole”?
- A. 1912
- B. 1946
- C. 1648
Which of these happened first?
- A. Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle
- B. Captain Scott's team reaches the South Pole
- C. The UN Security Council meets for the first time, in London
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 17 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1648 → 378 years; 1773 → 253 years; 1904 → 122 years; 1917 → 109 years.
Order: 1 = Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses against Charles I (1648), 2 = Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle (1773), 3 = Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard opens in Moscow (1904), 4 = Captain Scott's team reaches the South Pole (1912).
Quiz: 1. A (1773); 2. A (1912); 3. A (Captain Cook's ship is the first to cross the Antarctic Circle).