A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 5 March
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 5 March?
- 1133 Born: Henry II of England
- 1496 King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons…
- 1850 The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey…
- 1931 The British Raj: Gandhi–Irwin Pact is signed
- 1943 World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft…
- 1946 Cold War: Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at…
- 1981 The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair…
- 1993 Born: Harry Maguire
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1133 | Born: Henry II of England | 2026 − 1133 = | |
| 1850 | The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey… | 2026 − 1850 = | |
| 1943 | World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft… | 2026 − 1943 = | |
| 1981 | The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair… | 2026 − 1981 = |
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!
- King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons…
- The British Raj: Gandhi–Irwin Pact is signed
- World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft…
- The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Cold War: Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at”?
- A. 1946
- B. 1981
- C. 1850
In which year did this happen: “World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft”?
- A. 1943
- B. 1981
- C. 1496
Which of these happened first?
- A. The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair
- B. World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft
- C. Cold War: Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 5 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1133 → 893 years; 1850 → 176 years; 1943 → 83 years; 1981 → 45 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons… (1496), 2 = The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey… (1850), 3 = The British Raj: Gandhi–Irwin Pact is signed (1931), 4 = World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft… (1943).
Quiz: 1. A (1946); 2. A (1943); 3. B (World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft).