A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 3 February
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 3 February?
- 1488 Bartolomeu Dias sails round the southern tip of Africa
Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed at Mossel Bay after sailing round the Cape of Good Hope. - 1790 Born: Gideon Mantell
Gideon Mantell was an English doctor, geologist and palaeontologist, a scientist who studies fossils. - 1821 Born: Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell was an English-born doctor who became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. - 1830 Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent
Great Britain, France and Russia signed the London Protocol, an agreement that recognised Greece as a fully independent country. - 1870 The USA protects the right to vote whatever a person's race
The Fifteenth Amendment became part of the United States Constitution. - 1960 Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made a famous speech to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town. - 1986 Steve Jobs buys Pixar and sets it up as an animation studio
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, bought Pixar from Lucasfilm and launched it as an independent computer animation studio. - 1995 Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off at night from the Kennedy Space Center with Eileen Collins as its pilot.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1488 | Bartolomeu Dias sails round the southern tip of Africa | 2026 − 1488 = | |
| 1821 | Born: Elizabeth Blackwell | 2026 − 1821 = | |
| 1870 | The USA protects the right to vote whatever a person's race | 2026 − 1870 = | |
| 1986 | Steve Jobs buys Pixar and sets it up as an animation studio | 2026 − 1986 = |
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!
- Bartolomeu Dias sails round the southern tip of Africa
- Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech
- The USA protects the right to vote whatever a person's race
- Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech”?
- A. 1960
- B. 1690
- C. 1821
In which year did this happen: “Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent”?
- A. 1830
- B. 1986
- C. 1966
Which of these happened first?
- A. Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech
- B. Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent
- C. Steve Jobs buys Pixar and sets it up as an animation studio
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 3 February. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1488 → 538 years; 1821 → 205 years; 1870 → 156 years; 1986 → 40 years.
Order: 1 = Bartolomeu Dias sails round the southern tip of Africa (1488), 2 = Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent (1830), 3 = The USA protects the right to vote whatever a person's race (1870), 4 = Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech (1960).
Quiz: 1. A (1960); 2. A (1830); 3. B (Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent).