A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 February
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 February?
- 1516 Born: Mary I
Mary I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and became Queen of England and Ireland in 1553. - 1745 Born: Alessandro Volta
Alessandro Volta was an Italian chemist and physicist who is credited with inventing the electric battery. - 1871 Born: Harry Brearley
Harry Brearley was an English metallurgist, an expert in metals, who worked in Sheffield. - 1885 Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published in the USA
Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the United States, two months after it came out in Britain. - 1930 Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto while studying photographs of the night sky taken in January. - 1965 The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom
The Gambia, a country in West Africa, became independent from the United Kingdom. - 1977 Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight
Enterprise, NASA's first Space Shuttle orbiter, made its first test flight riding on top of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. - 2021 NASA's Perseverance rover lands on Mars
NASA's car-sized rover Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1516 | Born: Mary I | 2026 − 1516 = | |
| 1871 | Born: Harry Brearley | 2026 − 1871 = | |
| 1930 | Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto | 2026 − 1930 = | |
| 1977 | Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight | 2026 − 1977 = |
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!
- Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
- Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight
- Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published in the USA
- The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom
4. Quick quiz
In which year was Mary I born?
- A. 1965
- B. 1516
- C. 1797
In which year was Harry Brearley born?
- A. 1229
- B. 1871
- C. 1745
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom
- B. Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight
- C. Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 February. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1516 → 510 years; 1871 → 155 years; 1930 → 96 years; 1977 → 49 years.
Order: 1 = Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published in the USA (1885), 2 = Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto (1930), 3 = The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom (1965), 4 = Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight (1977).
Quiz: 1. B (1516); 2. B (1871); 3. C (Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto).