A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 29 January
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 29 January?
- 1737 Born: Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, Norfolk. - 1819 Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore
The British official Stamford Raffles landed on the island of Singapore. - 1845 Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appears in print
American writer Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appeared in a newspaper called The Evening Mirror. - 1856 Queen Victoria creates the Victoria Cross for bravery
Queen Victoria created the Victoria Cross, a medal to honour acts of bravery during the Crimean War. - 1891 Liliʻuokalani becomes Queen of Hawaii
Liliʻuokalani became queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom, in the Pacific Ocean. - 1907 Charles Curtis becomes the first Native American US senator
Charles Curtis of Kansas, a citizen of the Kaw Nation, became the first Native American to serve as a United States senator. - 1996 France announces an end to its nuclear weapons tests
French President Jacques Chirac announced a 'definitive end' to France's testing of nuclear weapons. - 2006 Irfan Pathan takes a Test hat-trick in the very first over
Indian bowler Irfan Pathan took a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1737 | Born: Thomas Paine | 2026 − 1737 = | |
| 1845 | Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appears in print | 2026 − 1845 = | |
| 1891 | Liliʻuokalani becomes Queen of Hawaii | 2026 − 1891 = | |
| 1996 | France announces an end to its nuclear weapons tests | 2026 − 1996 = |
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!
- Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore
- Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appears in print
- Queen Victoria creates the Victoria Cross for bravery
- Liliʻuokalani becomes Queen of Hawaii
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Queen Victoria creates the Victoria Cross for bravery”?
- A. 1856
- B. 2006
- C. 1926
In which year was Thomas Paine born?
- A. 2006
- B. 1926
- C. 1737
Which of these happened first?
- A. Queen Victoria creates the Victoria Cross for bravery
- B. Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore
- C. Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appears in print
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 29 January. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1737 → 289 years; 1845 → 181 years; 1891 → 135 years; 1996 → 30 years.
Order: 1 = Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore (1819), 2 = Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' appears in print (1845), 3 = Queen Victoria creates the Victoria Cross for bravery (1856), 4 = Liliʻuokalani becomes Queen of Hawaii (1891).
Quiz: 1. A (1856); 2. C (1737); 3. B (Stamford Raffles lands on the island of Singapore).