A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 9 July
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 9 July?
- 1540 King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of…
- 1640 The Virginia Governor's Council made John Punch the first legally recognized…
- 1776 George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to…
- 1811 British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the…
- 1877 The inaugural Wimbledon Championship, the world's oldest tennis tournament…
- 1916 Born: Edward Heath
- 1982 A British man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace and entered…
- 1985 Born: Ashley Young
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1540 | King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of… | 2026 − 1540 = | |
| 1776 | George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to… | 2026 − 1776 = | |
| 1877 | The inaugural Wimbledon Championship, the world's oldest tennis tournament… | 2026 − 1877 = | |
| 1982 | A British man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace and entered… | 2026 − 1982 = |
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!
- King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of…
- British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the…
- George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to…
- The Virginia Governor's Council made John Punch the first legally recognized…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to”?
- A. 1776
- B. 1933
- C. 1640
In which year did this happen: “King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of”?
- A. 1540
- B. 1916
- C. 1985
Which of these happened first?
- A. George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to
- B. British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the
- C. King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 9 July. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1540 → 486 years; 1776 → 250 years; 1877 → 149 years; 1982 → 44 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of… (1540), 2 = The Virginia Governor's Council made John Punch the first legally recognized… (1640), 3 = George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out to… (1776), 4 = British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the… (1811).
Quiz: 1. A (1776); 2. A (1540); 3. C (King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of).