A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 25 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 25 May?
- 1660 Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament
- 1782 American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed…
- 1816 The poems Kubla Khan and Christabel by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge…
- 1878 Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (poster featured) premiered…
- 1914 The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for…
- 1940 Second World War: German troops captured Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, forcing…
- 1955 Joe Brown and George Band, members of the British Kangchenjunga expedition…
- 1977 The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare's work…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1660 | Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament | 2026 − 1660 = | |
| 1816 | The poems Kubla Khan and Christabel by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge… | 2026 − 1816 = | |
| 1914 | The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for… | 2026 − 1914 = | |
| 1955 | Joe Brown and George Band, members of the British Kangchenjunga expedition… | 2026 − 1955 = |
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!
- Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament
- American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed…
- The poems Kubla Khan and Christabel by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge…
- Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (poster featured) premiered…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed”?
- A. 1977
- B. 1878
- C. 1782
In which year did this happen: “Second World War: German troops captured Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, forcing”?
- A. 1816
- B. 1946
- C. 1940
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare's work
- B. Second World War: German troops captured Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, forcing
- C. American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 25 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1660 → 366 years; 1816 → 210 years; 1914 → 112 years; 1955 → 71 years.
Order: 1 = Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament (1660), 2 = American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed… (1782), 3 = The poems Kubla Khan and Christabel by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge… (1816), 4 = Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (poster featured) premiered… (1878).
Quiz: 1. C (1782); 2. C (1940); 3. C (American Revolutionary War: US Colonel William Crawford began a failed).