A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 31 May
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 31 May?
- 1578 King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest…
- 1669 Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his…
- 1775 American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North…
- 1859 The Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament (now known as the Elizabeth Tower)…
- 1916 World War I: Battle of Jutland: The British Grand Fleet engages the High Seas…
- 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of Iraq and…
- 1962 The West Indies Federation dissolves
- 1997 The Confederation Bridge opens, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1578 | King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest… | 2026 − 1578 = | |
| 1775 | American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North… | 2026 − 1775 = | |
| 1916 | World War I: Battle of Jutland: The British Grand Fleet engages the High Seas… | 2026 − 1916 = | |
| 1962 | The West Indies Federation dissolves | 2026 − 1962 = |
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!
- American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North…
- Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his…
- King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest…
- The Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament (now known as the Elizabeth Tower)…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North”?
- A. 1775
- B. 1669
- C. 1813
In which year did this happen: “The Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament (now known as the Elizabeth Tower)”?
- A. 1610
- B. 1813
- C. 1859
Which of these happened first?
- A. King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest
- B. The Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament (now known as the Elizabeth Tower)
- C. American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 31 May. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1578 → 448 years; 1775 → 251 years; 1916 → 110 years; 1962 → 64 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest… (1578), 2 = Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his… (1669), 3 = American Revolution: The Committee of Safety of Mecklenburg County, North… (1775), 4 = The Great Clock at the Houses of Parliament (now known as the Elizabeth Tower)… (1859).
Quiz: 1. A (1775); 2. C (1859); 3. A (King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest).