A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 1 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 1 May?
- 1169 Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman…
- 1455 Scottish Royal forces loyal to King James II defeat a rebel army of the Black…
- 1699 Francis Nicholson and James Blair organize five May Day orations given by…
- 1707 Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland…
- 1769 Born: Arthur Wellesley
- 1851 Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London
- 1945 Second World War: British and Indian forces conducted a successful airborne…
- 2002 The Horncastle boar's head, which probably once formed part of the crest of an…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1169 | Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman… | 2026 − 1169 = | |
| 1699 | Francis Nicholson and James Blair organize five May Day orations given by… | 2026 − 1699 = | |
| 1769 | Born: Arthur Wellesley | 2026 − 1769 = | |
| 1945 | Second World War: British and Indian forces conducted a successful airborne… | 2026 − 1945 = |
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!
- Scottish Royal forces loyal to King James II defeat a rebel army of the Black…
- Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman…
- Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland…
- Francis Nicholson and James Blair organize five May Day orations given by…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland”?
- A. 1672
- B. 1769
- C. 1707
In which year did this happen: “Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London”?
- A. 1328
- B. 1851
- C. 1807
Which of these happened first?
- A. Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London
- B. Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman
- C. Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 1 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1169 → 857 years; 1699 → 327 years; 1769 → 257 years; 1945 → 81 years.
Order: 1 = Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman… (1169), 2 = Scottish Royal forces loyal to King James II defeat a rebel army of the Black… (1455), 3 = Francis Nicholson and James Blair organize five May Day orations given by… (1699), 4 = Under the terms of the Acts of Union, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland… (1707).
Quiz: 1. C (1707); 2. B (1851); 3. B (Norman mercenaries landed at Bannow Bay in Leinster, beginning the Norman).