A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 31 March
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 31 March?
- 1657 The Long Parliament presents the Humble Petition and Advice offering Oliver…
- 1761 Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt…
- 1774 American Revolution: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston…
- 1800 After fighting through the night, the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume…
- 1885 The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate
- 1890 Born: William Lawrence Bragg
- 1910 Six English towns amalgamated to form a single county borough called…
- 1966 The Labour Party under Harold Wilson wins the 1966 United Kingdom general…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1657 | The Long Parliament presents the Humble Petition and Advice offering Oliver… | 2026 − 1657 = | |
| 1774 | American Revolution: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston… | 2026 − 1774 = | |
| 1885 | The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate | 2026 − 1885 = | |
| 1910 | Six English towns amalgamated to form a single county borough called… | 2026 − 1910 = |
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 Revolution: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston…
- Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt…
- The Long Parliament presents the Humble Petition and Advice offering Oliver…
- After fighting through the night, the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Six English towns amalgamated to form a single county borough called”?
- A. 1910
- B. 1774
- C. 1761
In which year did this happen: “After fighting through the night, the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume”?
- A. 1800
- B. 1761
- C. 1657
Which of these happened first?
- A. Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt
- B. After fighting through the night, the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume
- C. Six English towns amalgamated to form a single county borough called
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 31 March. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1657 → 369 years; 1774 → 252 years; 1885 → 141 years; 1910 → 116 years.
Order: 1 = The Long Parliament presents the Humble Petition and Advice offering Oliver… (1657), 2 = Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt… (1761), 3 = American Revolution: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston… (1774), 4 = After fighting through the night, the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume… (1800).
Quiz: 1. A (1910); 2. A (1800); 3. A (Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt).