A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 23 February
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 23 February?
- AD 532 Work begins on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople
Byzantine emperor Justinian I began building a new great church in Constantinople, now Istanbul in Turkey. - 1633 Born: Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys was an English writer and navy official, famous for the diary he kept from 1660 to 1669. - 1685 Born: George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-born composer who settled in London in 1712 and became a British subject in 1727. - 1725 Bach's Shepherd Cantata is performed for a duke's birthday
German composer Johann Sebastian Bach performed his Shepherd Cantata for the birthday of Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. - 1886 Charles Martin Hall finds a cheap way to make aluminium
American inventor Charles Martin Hall discovered an inexpensive way of producing aluminium. - 1950 Britain holds its first general election with one vote each
A general election was held across the United Kingdom. - 1954 Children get Salk's polio vaccine in the first mass vaccination
In Pittsburgh, USA, large numbers of children began to be given Jonas Salk's new vaccine against polio. - 1987 Light from a nearby exploding star, Supernova 1987A, reaches Earth
Light from a supernova, the huge explosion of a star, reached Earth.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 532 | Work begins on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople | 2026 − 532 = | |
| 1685 | Born: George Frideric Handel | 2026 − 1685 = | |
| 1886 | Charles Martin Hall finds a cheap way to make aluminium | 2026 − 1886 = | |
| 1954 | Children get Salk's polio vaccine in the first mass vaccination | 2026 − 1954 = |
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!
- Work begins on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople
- Bach's Shepherd Cantata is performed for a duke's birthday
- Charles Martin Hall finds a cheap way to make aluminium
- Britain holds its first general election with one vote each
4. Quick quiz
In which year was George Frideric Handel born?
- A. 1685
- B. 1954
- C. 1909
In which year did this happen: “Britain holds its first general election with one vote each”?
- A. 1950
- B. AD 532
- C. 1854
Which of these happened first?
- A. Light from a nearby exploding star, Supernova 1987A, reaches Earth
- B. Bach's Shepherd Cantata is performed for a duke's birthday
- C. Britain holds its first general election with one vote each
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 23 February. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 532 → 1,494 years; 1685 → 341 years; 1886 → 140 years; 1954 → 72 years.
Order: 1 = Work begins on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (AD 532), 2 = Bach's Shepherd Cantata is performed for a duke's birthday (1725), 3 = Charles Martin Hall finds a cheap way to make aluminium (1886), 4 = Britain holds its first general election with one vote each (1950).
Quiz: 1. A (1685); 2. A (1950); 3. B (Bach's Shepherd Cantata is performed for a duke's birthday).