A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 2 April
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 2 April?
- 1653 Born: Prince George of Denmark
- 1755 Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the…
- 1801 French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy…
- 1827 Born: William Holman Hunt
- 1871 Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London
- 1914 Born: Alec Guinness
- 1966 Born: Teddy Sheringham
- 1982 Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1653 | Born: Prince George of Denmark | 2026 − 1653 = | |
| 1801 | French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy… | 2026 − 1801 = | |
| 1871 | Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London | 2026 − 1871 = | |
| 1966 | Born: Teddy Sheringham | 2026 − 1966 = |
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!
- Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the…
- Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London
- French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy…
- Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands”?
- A. 1982
- B. 1871
- C. 1940
In which year did this happen: “Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London”?
- A. 1871
- B. 1653
- C. 1940
Which of these happened first?
- A. Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands
- B. French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy
- C. Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 2 April. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1653 → 373 years; 1801 → 225 years; 1871 → 155 years; 1966 → 60 years.
Order: 1 = Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the… (1755), 2 = French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy… (1801), 3 = Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert, premiered at the Court Theatre in London (1871), 4 = Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands… (1982).
Quiz: 1. A (1982); 2. A (1871); 3. B (French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy).