A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 21 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 21 January?
- 1326 Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford
King Edward II of England issued a royal charter confirming the founding of Oriel College, part of the University of Oxford. - 1911 The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place
The first Monte Carlo Rally was held, organised at the wish of Prince Albert I of Monaco. - 1919 Ireland's First Dáil meets and declares independence
Members of the Irish party Sinn Féin met at the Mansion House in Dublin and set up their own parliament, called Dáil Éireann. - 1922 Born: Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield was an English actor whose career lasted six decades. - 1971 Emley Moor tower, the UK's tallest structure, starts broadcasting
The new Emley Moor transmitting station, near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, began sending out colour television signals. - 1976 Concorde begins its first scheduled passenger flights
Concorde, a supersonic airliner built jointly by Britain and France, began flying paying passengers on scheduled routes. - 1981 The first DeLorean car is completed in Northern Ireland
The DeLorean Motor Company finished its first production car at its factory in Dunmurry, near Belfast in Northern Ireland. - 2004 NASA's Mars rover Spirit stops sending messages to Earth
NASA's Mars rover Spirit suddenly stopped communicating with mission control, less than three weeks after landing on Mars.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1326 | Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford | 2026 − 1326 = | |
| 1919 | Ireland's First Dáil meets and declares independence | 2026 − 1919 = | |
| 1971 | Emley Moor tower, the UK's tallest structure, starts broadcasting | 2026 − 1971 = | |
| 1981 | The first DeLorean car is completed in Northern Ireland | 2026 − 1981 = |
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!
- Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford
- Ireland's First Dáil meets and declares independence
- Emley Moor tower, the UK's tallest structure, starts broadcasting
- The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford”?
- A. 1911
- B. 1976
- C. 1326
In which year did this happen: “Concorde begins its first scheduled passenger flights”?
- A. 1976
- B. 1924
- C. 1922
Which of these happened first?
- A. Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford
- B. Concorde begins its first scheduled passenger flights
- C. The first DeLorean car is completed in Northern Ireland
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 21 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1326 → 700 years; 1919 → 107 years; 1971 → 55 years; 1981 → 45 years.
Order: 1 = Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford (1326), 2 = The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place (1911), 3 = Ireland's First Dáil meets and declares independence (1919), 4 = Emley Moor tower, the UK's tallest structure, starts broadcasting (1971).
Quiz: 1. C (1326); 2. A (1976); 3. A (Edward II confirms the founding of Oriel College, Oxford).