A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 7 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 7 May?
- 1544 During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh
- 1711 Born: David Hume
- 1765 HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned…
- 1798 War of the First Coalition: A British garrison repelled a French attack on the…
- 1812 Born: Robert Browning
- 1864 The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by…
- 1940 A three-day debate began in the House of Commons that resulted in British…
- 1954 A convoy of circus wagons carrying lions, horses, ponies and an ass lost…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1544 | During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh | 2026 − 1544 = | |
| 1765 | HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned… | 2026 − 1765 = | |
| 1812 | Born: Robert Browning | 2026 − 1812 = | |
| 1940 | A three-day debate began in the House of Commons that resulted in British… | 2026 − 1940 = |
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!
- During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh
- The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by…
- War of the First Coalition: A British garrison repelled a French attack on the…
- HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “War of the First Coalition: A British garrison repelled a French attack on the”?
- A. 1864
- B. 1812
- C. 1798
In which year did this happen: “A convoy of circus wagons carrying lions, horses, ponies and an ass lost”?
- A. 1954
- B. 1940
- C. 1625
Which of these happened first?
- A. War of the First Coalition: A British garrison repelled a French attack on the
- B. During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh
- C. A convoy of circus wagons carrying lions, horses, ponies and an ass lost
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 7 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1544 → 482 years; 1765 → 261 years; 1812 → 214 years; 1940 → 86 years.
Order: 1 = During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh (1544), 2 = HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned… (1765), 3 = War of the First Coalition: A British garrison repelled a French attack on the… (1798), 4 = The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by… (1864).
Quiz: 1. C (1798); 2. A (1954); 3. B (During the Rough Wooing, an English army carried out the Burning of Edinburgh).