A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 2 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 2 May?
- 1194 King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter
- 1559 Presbyterian clergyman John Knox returned from exile to lead the Scottish…
- 1568 Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle
- 1611 The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London…
- 1859 Born: Jerome K. Jerome
- 1867 Albert Günther publishes the first study to recognise that the New Zealand…
- 1969 The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs on her maiden voyage to New…
- 1975 Born: David Beckham
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1194 | King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter | 2026 − 1194 = | |
| 1568 | Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle | 2026 − 1568 = | |
| 1859 | Born: Jerome K. Jerome | 2026 − 1859 = | |
| 1969 | The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs on her maiden voyage to New… | 2026 − 1969 = |
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!
- Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle
- The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London…
- Presbyterian clergyman John Knox returned from exile to lead the Scottish…
- King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter”?
- A. 1969
- B. 1194
- C. 1941
In which year did this happen: “Presbyterian clergyman John Knox returned from exile to lead the Scottish”?
- A. 1859
- B. 1194
- C. 1559
Which of these happened first?
- A. Presbyterian clergyman John Knox returned from exile to lead the Scottish
- B. King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter
- C. Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 2 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1194 → 832 years; 1568 → 458 years; 1859 → 167 years; 1969 → 57 years.
Order: 1 = King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter (1194), 2 = Presbyterian clergyman John Knox returned from exile to lead the Scottish… (1559), 3 = Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Lochleven Castle (1568), 4 = The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London… (1611).
Quiz: 1. B (1194); 2. C (1559); 3. B (King Richard I of England gave the city of Portsmouth its first royal charter).