A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 August
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 August?
- 1572 The Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre marries the Catholic Margaret of…
- 1590 John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in…
- 1612 The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of…
- 1759 Beginning of the battle of Lagos, in which a British fleet defeats a French…
- 1783 A meteor procession blazed across the night sky over Great Britain
- 1823 At least 9,000 enslaved people rebelled in the British colony in…
- 1940 Second World War: During the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe made an all-out…
- 1948 Australia won the fifth Test of the 1948 Ashes series
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1572 | The Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre marries the Catholic Margaret of… | 2026 − 1572 = | |
| 1612 | The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of… | 2026 − 1612 = | |
| 1783 | A meteor procession blazed across the night sky over Great Britain | 2026 − 1783 = | |
| 1940 | Second World War: During the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe made an all-out… | 2026 − 1940 = |
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!
- Beginning of the battle of Lagos, in which a British fleet defeats a French…
- The Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre marries the Catholic Margaret of…
- John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in…
- The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Second World War: During the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe made an all-out”?
- A. 1923
- B. 1940
- C. 1783
In which year did this happen: “The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of”?
- A. 1590
- B. 1826
- C. 1612
Which of these happened first?
- A. The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of
- B. John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in
- C. Second World War: During the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe made an all-out
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 August. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1572 → 454 years; 1612 → 414 years; 1783 → 243 years; 1940 → 86 years.
Order: 1 = The Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre marries the Catholic Margaret of… (1572), 2 = John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in… (1590), 3 = The trials of the Pendle and Samlesbury witches, among the most famous of… (1612), 4 = Beginning of the battle of Lagos, in which a British fleet defeats a French… (1759).
Quiz: 1. B (1940); 2. C (1612); 3. B (John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in).