A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 15 April
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 15 April?
- 1191 Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor
- 1738 Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on…
- 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published
- 1802 English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long…
- 1843 Born: Henry James
- 1957 The Indiaman departed Victoria Coach Station, London, as part of the first…
- 1959 Born: Emma Thompson
- 1990 Born: Emma Watson
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1191 | Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor | 2026 − 1191 = | |
| 1755 | A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published | 2026 − 1755 = | |
| 1843 | Born: Henry James | 2026 − 1843 = | |
| 1959 | Born: Emma Thompson | 2026 − 1959 = |
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!
- Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor
- English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long…
- A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published
- Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long”?
- A. 1959
- B. 1997
- C. 1802
In which year did this happen: “Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor”?
- A. 1191
- B. 1907
- C. 1957
Which of these happened first?
- A. English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long
- B. Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on
- C. Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 15 April. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1191 → 835 years; 1755 → 271 years; 1843 → 183 years; 1959 → 67 years.
Order: 1 = Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor (1191), 2 = Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on… (1738), 3 = A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published (1755), 4 = English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long… (1802).
Quiz: 1. C (1802); 2. A (1191); 3. C (Henry VI, King of Germany, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor).