A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 31 August
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 31 August?
- 1795 War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri…
- 1907 Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the…
- 1913 Born: Bernard Lovell
- 1921 Born: Raymond Williams
- 1944 Born: Roger Dean
- 1945 Born: Van Morrison
- 1963 Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance
- 2010 The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1795 | War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri… | 2026 − 1795 = | |
| 1913 | Born: Bernard Lovell | 2026 − 1913 = | |
| 1944 | Born: Roger Dean | 2026 − 1944 = | |
| 1963 | Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance | 2026 − 1963 = |
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!
- Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the…
- The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British…
- Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance
- War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British”?
- A. 1913
- B. 2010
- C. 1979
In which year did this happen: “War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri”?
- A. 1897
- B. 2010
- C. 1795
Which of these happened first?
- A. War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri
- B. Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the
- C. The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 31 August. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1795 → 231 years; 1913 → 113 years; 1944 → 82 years; 1963 → 63 years.
Order: 1 = War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri… (1795), 2 = Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the… (1907), 3 = Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance (1963), 4 = The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British… (2010).
Quiz: 1. B (2010); 2. C (1795); 3. A (War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri).