A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 20 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 20 May?
- AD 685 The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely…
- 1217 First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops…
- 1497 John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a…
- 1609 Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly…
- 1806 Born: John Stuart Mill
- 1811 A British squadron under Charles Marsh Schomberg defeated a French force off…
- 1927 With the signing of the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the…
- 1944 Born: Joe Cocker
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 685 | The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely… | 2026 − 685 = | |
| 1497 | John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a… | 2026 − 1497 = | |
| 1806 | Born: John Stuart Mill | 2026 − 1806 = | |
| 1927 | With the signing of the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the… | 2026 − 1927 = |
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!
- First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops…
- The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely…
- Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly…
- John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely”?
- A. 1927
- B. 1217
- C. AD 685
In which year did this happen: “First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops”?
- A. 1609
- B. 1217
- C. 1985
Which of these happened first?
- A. First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops
- B. The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely
- C. With the signing of the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 20 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 685 → 1,341 years; 1497 → 529 years; 1806 → 220 years; 1927 → 99 years.
Order: 1 = The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely… (AD 685), 2 = First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops… (1217), 3 = John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a… (1497), 4 = Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly… (1609).
Quiz: 1. C (AD 685); 2. B (1217); 3. B (The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely).