A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 12 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 12 May?
- 1191 Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus
- 1780 American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army…
- 1809 British contingents under Arthur Wellesley force a French army under general…
- 1820 Born: Florence Nightingale
- 1888 North Borneo was established as a British protectorate
- 1937 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom are crowned in…
- 1980 Born: Rishi Sunak
- 1982 The Coppergate Helmet, the best preserved of the six known Anglo-Saxon…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1191 | Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus | 2026 − 1191 = | |
| 1809 | British contingents under Arthur Wellesley force a French army under general… | 2026 − 1809 = | |
| 1888 | North Borneo was established as a British protectorate | 2026 − 1888 = | |
| 1980 | Born: Rishi Sunak | 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!
- Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus
- American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army…
- British contingents under Arthur Wellesley force a French army under general…
- North Borneo was established as a British protectorate
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “North Borneo was established as a British protectorate”?
- A. 1888
- B. 1809
- C. 1780
In which year did this happen: “King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom are crowned in”?
- A. 1937
- B. 1809
- C. 1191
Which of these happened first?
- A. North Borneo was established as a British protectorate
- B. Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus
- C. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom are crowned in
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 12 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1191 → 835 years; 1809 → 217 years; 1888 → 138 years; 1980 → 46 years.
Order: 1 = Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus (1191), 2 = American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army… (1780), 3 = British contingents under Arthur Wellesley force a French army under general… (1809), 4 = North Borneo was established as a British protectorate (1888).
Quiz: 1. A (1888); 2. A (1937); 3. B (Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus).