A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 21 March
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 21 March?
- AD 867 An army of the Kingdom of Northumbria attempts to recapture York from the…
- 1801 The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the…
- 1829 The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime…
- 1871 Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and…
- 1874 Queen's Park defeated Clydesdale 2–0 in the final of the inaugural Scottish Cup
- 1945 World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma
- 1946 Born: Timothy Dalton
- 1958 Born: Gary Oldman
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 867 | An army of the Kingdom of Northumbria attempts to recapture York from the… | 2026 − 867 = | |
| 1829 | The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime… | 2026 − 1829 = | |
| 1874 | Queen's Park defeated Clydesdale 2–0 in the final of the inaugural Scottish Cup | 2026 − 1874 = | |
| 1946 | Born: Timothy Dalton | 2026 − 1946 = |
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!
- The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the…
- The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime…
- Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and…
- An army of the Kingdom of Northumbria attempts to recapture York from the…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma”?
- A. 2007
- B. 1945
- C. 1925
In which year did this happen: “Queen's Park defeated Clydesdale 2–0 in the final of the inaugural Scottish Cup”?
- A. 1946
- B. 1874
- C. 2007
Which of these happened first?
- A. Queen's Park defeated Clydesdale 2–0 in the final of the inaugural Scottish Cup
- B. World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma
- C. Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 21 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 867 → 1,159 years; 1829 → 197 years; 1874 → 152 years; 1946 → 80 years.
Order: 1 = An army of the Kingdom of Northumbria attempts to recapture York from the… (AD 867), 2 = The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the… (1801), 3 = The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime… (1829), 4 = Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and… (1871).
Quiz: 1. B (1945); 2. B (1874); 3. C (Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and).