A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 January?
- 1486 Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses
King Henry VII, the first Tudor king, married Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV. Henry came from the House of Lancaster and Elizabeth from the House of York, two families that had fought the Wars of the Roses. - 1778 Captain Cook reaches the Hawaiian Islands
On his third voyage of exploration, British explorer Captain James Cook reached the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. - 1788 HMS Supply, first ship of the First Fleet, reaches Botany Bay
HMS Supply became the first ship of Britain's First Fleet to reach Botany Bay, in Australia. - 1871 The German Empire is proclaimed
The German Empire was proclaimed, uniting many separate German states into one country. - 1882 Born: A. A. Milne
A. A. Milne was an English writer, born in Kilburn, London, who is best known for his stories about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. - 1886 The Hockey Association is formed in England
The Hockey Association was formed in England, an important step in the birth of modern field hockey. - 1896 An X-ray machine is shown in public for the first time
H. L. Smith exhibited a machine for making X-rays for the first time. - 1934 Born: Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs was an English author and illustrator, loved by children and adults alike.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1486 | Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses | 2026 − 1486 = | |
| 1788 | HMS Supply, first ship of the First Fleet, reaches Botany Bay | 2026 − 1788 = | |
| 1882 | Born: A. A. Milne | 2026 − 1882 = | |
| 1896 | An X-ray machine is shown in public for the first time | 2026 − 1896 = |
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!
- Captain Cook reaches the Hawaiian Islands
- HMS Supply, first ship of the First Fleet, reaches Botany Bay
- The German Empire is proclaimed
- Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Captain Cook reaches the Hawaiian Islands”?
- A. 1486
- B. 1778
- C. 1886
In which year did this happen: “The Hockey Association is formed in England”?
- A. 1486
- B. 1886
- C. 1919
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Hockey Association is formed in England
- B. Captain Cook reaches the Hawaiian Islands
- C. Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1486 → 540 years; 1788 → 238 years; 1882 → 144 years; 1896 → 130 years.
Order: 1 = Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses (1486), 2 = Captain Cook reaches the Hawaiian Islands (1778), 3 = HMS Supply, first ship of the First Fleet, reaches Botany Bay (1788), 4 = The German Empire is proclaimed (1871).
Quiz: 1. B (1778); 2. B (1886); 3. C (Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, uniting two royal houses).