A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 12 February
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 12 February?
- 1429 English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France
During the Hundred Years' War, the English were besieging the French city of Orléans. - 1502 Vasco da Gama sets sail on his second voyage to India
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama left Lisbon with 15 ships and 800 men on his second voyage to India. - 1689 Parliament declares that James II has given up the throne
The Convention Parliament declared that King James II had abdicated, or given up the throne, by fleeing to France in 1688. - 1809 Born: Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist. - 1832 Ecuador makes the Galápagos Islands part of its country
Ecuador annexed the Galápagos Islands, which means it officially made them part of the country. - 1924 Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is played for the first time
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was first performed at Aeolian Hall in New York City. - 2001 NEAR Shoemaker becomes the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid
NASA's robotic space probe NEAR Shoemaker touched down on Eros, a stony asteroid with a long, stretched shape. - 2016 Catholic and Russian Orthodox leaders meet for the first time
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, met Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, at Havana's airport in Cuba.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1429 | English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France | 2026 − 1429 = | |
| 1689 | Parliament declares that James II has given up the throne | 2026 − 1689 = | |
| 1832 | Ecuador makes the Galápagos Islands part of its country | 2026 − 1832 = | |
| 2001 | NEAR Shoemaker becomes the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid | 2026 − 2001 = |
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!
- Vasco da Gama sets sail on his second voyage to India
- Parliament declares that James II has given up the throne
- Ecuador makes the Galápagos Islands part of its country
- English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France
4. Quick quiz
In which year was Charles Darwin born?
- A. 1502
- B. 1689
- C. 1809
In which year did this happen: “English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France”?
- A. 1818
- B. 1429
- C. 1912
Which of these happened first?
- A. NEAR Shoemaker becomes the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid
- B. English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France
- C. Parliament declares that James II has given up the throne
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 12 February. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1429 → 597 years; 1689 → 337 years; 1832 → 194 years; 2001 → 25 years.
Order: 1 = English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France (1429), 2 = Vasco da Gama sets sail on his second voyage to India (1502), 3 = Parliament declares that James II has given up the throne (1689), 4 = Ecuador makes the Galápagos Islands part of its country (1832).
Quiz: 1. C (1809); 2. B (1429); 3. B (English troops win the Battle of the Herrings in France).