A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 26 March
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 26 March?
- 1351 Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English…
- 1484 William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables
- 1700 William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain…
- 1917 First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were…
- 1938 Born: Anthony James Leggett
- 1941 Born: Richard Dawkins
- 1981 Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party
- 1985 Born: Keira Knightley
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1351 | Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English… | 2026 − 1351 = | |
| 1700 | William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain… | 2026 − 1700 = | |
| 1938 | Born: Anthony James Leggett | 2026 − 1938 = | |
| 1981 | Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party | 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!
- Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English…
- First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were…
- William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain…
- William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables”?
- A. 1351
- B. 1934
- C. 1484
In which year did this happen: “First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were”?
- A. 1917
- B. 1981
- C. 1941
Which of these happened first?
- A. William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables
- B. William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain
- C. First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 26 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1351 → 675 years; 1700 → 326 years; 1938 → 88 years; 1981 → 45 years.
Order: 1 = Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English… (1351), 2 = William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables (1484), 3 = William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain… (1700), 4 = First World War: Attempting to advance into Palestine, the British were… (1917).
Quiz: 1. C (1484); 2. A (1917); 3. A (William Caxton printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables).