A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 17 March
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 17 March?
- 1337 Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom
- 1473 Born: James IV
- 1776 American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the…
- 1824 The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As…
- 1948 Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the…
- 1962 A Clockwork Orange, a British dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess, is published
- 1969 Born: Alexander McQueen
- 2003 Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Robin Cook…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1337 | Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom | 2026 − 1337 = | |
| 1776 | American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the… | 2026 − 1776 = | |
| 1948 | Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the… | 2026 − 1948 = | |
| 1969 | Born: Alexander McQueen | 2026 − 1969 = |
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!
- American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the…
- Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the…
- Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom
- The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the”?
- A. 2003
- B. 1776
- C. 1337
In which year did this happen: “Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom”?
- A. 1988
- B. 1337
- C. 1989
Which of these happened first?
- A. A Clockwork Orange, a British dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess, is published
- B. American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the
- C. Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 17 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1337 → 689 years; 1776 → 250 years; 1948 → 78 years; 1969 → 57 years.
Order: 1 = Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom (1337), 2 = American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the… (1776), 3 = The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As… (1824), 4 = Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the… (1948).
Quiz: 1. B (1776); 2. B (1337); 3. C (Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom).