A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 5 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 5 May?
- 1192 Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem marries Henry II, Count of Champagne
- 1215 Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England
- 1640 King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament
- 1646 First English Civil War: Charles I surrendered himself to Scottish Covenanter…
- 1654 Cromwell's Act of Grace, which pardoned the people of Scotland for any crimes…
- 1821 The first edition of The Manchester Guardian, now The Guardian, is published
- 1980 The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London
- 1988 Born: Adele
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1192 | Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem marries Henry II, Count of Champagne | 2026 − 1192 = | |
| 1640 | King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament | 2026 − 1640 = | |
| 1654 | Cromwell's Act of Grace, which pardoned the people of Scotland for any crimes… | 2026 − 1654 = | |
| 1980 | The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London | 2026 − 1980 = |
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!
- Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem marries Henry II, Count of Champagne
- King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament
- First English Civil War: Charles I surrendered himself to Scottish Covenanter…
- Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London”?
- A. 1980
- B. 1943
- C. 1646
In which year did this happen: “First English Civil War: Charles I surrendered himself to Scottish Covenanter”?
- A. 1646
- B. 1983
- C. 1944
Which of these happened first?
- A. King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament
- B. First English Civil War: Charles I surrendered himself to Scottish Covenanter
- C. The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 5 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1192 → 834 years; 1640 → 386 years; 1654 → 372 years; 1980 → 46 years.
Order: 1 = Queen Isabella I of Jerusalem marries Henry II, Count of Champagne (1192), 2 = Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England (1215), 3 = King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament (1640), 4 = First English Civil War: Charles I surrendered himself to Scottish Covenanter… (1646).
Quiz: 1. A (1980); 2. A (1646); 3. A (King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament).