A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 29 February
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 29 February?
- 1504 Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica
Explorer Christopher Columbus and his hungry crew were stranded on Jamaica, and local people had stopped bringing them food. - 1792 Born: Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer famous for his 39 operas. - 1796 The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force
The Jay Treaty between Great Britain and the United States came into force. - 1940 Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Oscar
At the 12th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in the film Gone with the Wind. - 1980 A newspaper that only appears on 29 February is first printed
The first issue of La Bougie du Sapeur, a funny French newspaper, was printed. - 1988 Born: Hannah Mills
Hannah Mills is a Welsh sailor who won three Olympic medals for Team GB in the 470 class of sailing boat. - 1988 Archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested at an anti-apartheid protest
South African archbishop Desmond Tutu was arrested along with about 100 other church leaders during a protest against apartheid in Cape Town. - 2012 Work is finished on Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower
Construction of Tokyo Skytree, a broadcasting and observation tower in Tokyo, Japan, was completed.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1504 | Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica | 2026 − 1504 = | |
| 1796 | The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force | 2026 − 1796 = | |
| 1980 | A newspaper that only appears on 29 February is first printed | 2026 − 1980 = | |
| 1988 | Archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested at an anti-apartheid protest | 2026 − 1988 = |
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!
- Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica
- A newspaper that only appears on 29 February is first printed
- Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Oscar
- The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force”?
- A. 1504
- B. 2012
- C. 1796
In which year was Hannah Mills born?
- A. 1988
- B. 2012
- C. 1796
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force
- B. Work is finished on Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower
- C. Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 29 February. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1504 → 522 years; 1796 → 230 years; 1980 → 46 years; 1988 → 38 years.
Order: 1 = Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica (1504), 2 = The Jay Treaty between Britain and the United States comes into force (1796), 3 = Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Oscar (1940), 4 = A newspaper that only appears on 29 February is first printed (1980).
Quiz: 1. C (1796); 2. A (1988); 3. C (Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to get food on Jamaica).