A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 6 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 6 May?
- 1541 King Henry VIII orders English-language Bibles be placed in every church. In…
- 1757 English poet Christopher Smart was admitted to St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics…
- 1857 The East India Company disbands the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry…
- 1915 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: SY Aurora, anchored in McMurdo Sound…
- 1930 Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson purchased the Kent…
- 1954 At Oxford's Iffley Road Track, English runner Roger Bannister became the first…
- 1994 Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand…
- 2023 King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in London
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1541 | King Henry VIII orders English-language Bibles be placed in every church. In… | 2026 − 1541 = | |
| 1857 | The East India Company disbands the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry… | 2026 − 1857 = | |
| 1930 | Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson purchased the Kent… | 2026 − 1930 = | |
| 1994 | Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand… | 2026 − 1994 = |
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!
- King Henry VIII orders English-language Bibles be placed in every church. In…
- The East India Company disbands the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry…
- English poet Christopher Smart was admitted to St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics…
- Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: SY Aurora, anchored in McMurdo Sound…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in London”?
- A. 2023
- B. 1857
- C. 1954
In which year did this happen: “Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand”?
- A. 1915
- B. 1840
- C. 1994
Which of these happened first?
- A. Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson purchased the Kent
- B. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand
- C. King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in London
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 6 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1541 → 485 years; 1857 → 169 years; 1930 → 96 years; 1994 → 32 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry VIII orders English-language Bibles be placed in every church. In… (1541), 2 = English poet Christopher Smart was admitted to St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics… (1757), 3 = The East India Company disbands the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry… (1857), 4 = Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: SY Aurora, anchored in McMurdo Sound… (1915).
Quiz: 1. A (2023); 2. C (1994); 3. A (Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson purchased the Kent).