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A Day in the Past · history worksheet

On this day: 20 March

Name: Class: Date:

1. What happened on 20 March?

  1. 1616 Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London
  2. 1908 Born: Michael Redgrave
  3. 1917 Born: Vera Lynn
  4. 1956 Born: Catherine Ashton
  5. 1963 Born: David Thewlis
  6. 1969 Born: Yvette Cooper
  7. 1979 Born: Freema Agyeman
  8. 2003 Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin…

2. How long ago?

This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.

YearWhat happenedSumYears ago
1616Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London2026 − 1616 =
1917Born: Vera Lynn2026 − 1917 =
1963Born: David Thewlis2026 − 1963 =
1979Born: Freema Agyeman2026 − 1979 =

4. Quick quiz

  1. In which year did this happen: “Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin”?

    • A. 1950
    • B. 2003
    • C. 1956

  2. In which year did this happen: “Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London”?

    • A. 1950
    • B. 1616
    • C. 1979

  3. “Catherine Ashton” happened in 1956. How many years ago was that?

    • A. 80 years
    • B. 60 years
    • C. 70 years

5. Draw it!

Draw your favourite event from 20 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.

Answers for teachers

How long ago: 1616 → 410 years; 1917 → 109 years; 1963 → 63 years; 1979 → 47 years.

Quiz: 1. B (2003); 2. B (1616); 3. C (70 years).