A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 4 April
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 4 April?
- 1581 Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of…
- 1660 Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of Great Britain promises, among other…
- 1818 Born: Thomas Mayne Reid
- 1873 The Kennel Club, the world's oldest kennel club, was founded in the United…
- 1952 Born: Gary Moore
- 1958 The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London
- 1964 The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart
- 2003 Born: Harvey Elliott
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1581 | Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of… | 2026 − 1581 = | |
| 1818 | Born: Thomas Mayne Reid | 2026 − 1818 = | |
| 1952 | Born: Gary Moore | 2026 − 1952 = | |
| 1964 | The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart | 2026 − 1964 = |
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!
- Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of Great Britain promises, among other…
- The Kennel Club, the world's oldest kennel club, was founded in the United…
- The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London
- Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of”?
- A. 1952
- B. 1581
- C. 1923
In which year did this happen: “The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart”?
- A. 1835
- B. 1581
- C. 1964
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart
- B. The Kennel Club, the world's oldest kennel club, was founded in the United
- C. Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 4 April. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1581 → 445 years; 1818 → 208 years; 1952 → 74 years; 1964 → 62 years.
Order: 1 = Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of… (1581), 2 = Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of Great Britain promises, among other… (1660), 3 = The Kennel Club, the world's oldest kennel club, was founded in the United… (1873), 4 = The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London (1958).
Quiz: 1. B (1581); 2. C (1964); 3. C (Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of).