A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 12 April
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 12 April?
- AD 627 King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York
- 1606 The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships
- 1776 American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax…
- 1782 American Revolution: A Royal Navy fleet led by Admiral George Rodney defeats a…
- 1831 The Broughton Suspension Bridge near Manchester, England, collapsed reportedly…
- 1877 The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal
- 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an…
- 1941 Born: Bobby Moore
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 627 | King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York | 2026 − 627 = | |
| 1776 | American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax… | 2026 − 1776 = | |
| 1831 | The Broughton Suspension Bridge near Manchester, England, collapsed reportedly… | 2026 − 1831 = | |
| 1937 | Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an… | 2026 − 1937 = |
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 Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships
- American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax…
- American Revolution: A Royal Navy fleet led by Admiral George Rodney defeats a…
- King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax”?
- A. 1946
- B. 1550
- C. 1776
In which year did this happen: “King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York”?
- A. 1877
- B. AD 627
- C. 1937
Which of these happened first?
- A. King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York
- B. American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax
- C. The Broughton Suspension Bridge near Manchester, England, collapsed reportedly
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 12 April. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 627 → 1,399 years; 1776 → 250 years; 1831 → 195 years; 1937 → 89 years.
Order: 1 = King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York (AD 627), 2 = The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships (1606), 3 = American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax… (1776), 4 = American Revolution: A Royal Navy fleet led by Admiral George Rodney defeats a… (1782).
Quiz: 1. C (1776); 2. B (AD 627); 3. A (King Edwin of Northumbria was baptised by Bishop Paulinus of York).