A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 4 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 4 May?
- 1415 Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a heretic at the Council of…
- 1776 American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations…
- 1789 The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by…
- 1825 Born: Thomas Henry Huxley
- 1926 The United Kingdom general strike begins
- 1929 Born: Audrey Hepburn
- 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom
- 2000 Ken Livingstone took office as the first mayor of London
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1415 | Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a heretic at the Council of… | 2026 − 1415 = | |
| 1789 | The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by… | 2026 − 1789 = | |
| 1926 | The United Kingdom general strike begins | 2026 − 1926 = | |
| 1979 | Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom | 2026 − 1979 = |
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!
- Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a heretic at the Council of…
- The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by…
- American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations…
- The United Kingdom general strike begins
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom”?
- A. 1979
- B. 1859
- C. 1827
In which year did this happen: “American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”?
- A. 1776
- B. 1825
- C. 1827
Which of these happened first?
- A. Ken Livingstone took office as the first mayor of London
- B. American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
- C. Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 4 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1415 → 611 years; 1789 → 237 years; 1926 → 100 years; 1979 → 47 years.
Order: 1 = Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a heretic at the Council of… (1415), 2 = American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations… (1776), 3 = The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by… (1789), 4 = The United Kingdom general strike begins (1926).
Quiz: 1. A (1979); 2. A (1776); 3. B (American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations).