A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 6 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 6 September?
- 1620 The Pilgrim Fathers sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in…
- 1628 Puritans settle Salem, which became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony
- 1766 Born: John Dalton
- 1781 American Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to…
- 1803 British scientist John Dalton begins using symbols to represent the atoms of…
- 1939 World War II: Union of South Africa declares war on Germany
- 1997 An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched the funeral of Diana…
- 2022 Liz Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as prime minister
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1620 | The Pilgrim Fathers sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in… | 2026 − 1620 = | |
| 1766 | Born: John Dalton | 2026 − 1766 = | |
| 1803 | British scientist John Dalton begins using symbols to represent the atoms of… | 2026 − 1803 = | |
| 1997 | An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched the funeral of Diana… | 2026 − 1997 = |
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 Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to…
- Puritans settle Salem, which became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony
- The Pilgrim Fathers sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in…
- British scientist John Dalton begins using symbols to represent the atoms of…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Liz Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as prime minister”?
- A. 1628
- B. 1892
- C. 2022
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to”?
- A. 1781
- B. 1997
- C. 1892
Which of these happened first?
- A. Liz Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as prime minister
- B. An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched the funeral of Diana
- C. American Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 6 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1620 → 406 years; 1766 → 260 years; 1803 → 223 years; 1997 → 29 years.
Order: 1 = The Pilgrim Fathers sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in… (1620), 2 = Puritans settle Salem, which became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628), 3 = American Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to… (1781), 4 = British scientist John Dalton begins using symbols to represent the atoms of… (1803).
Quiz: 1. C (2022); 2. A (1781); 3. C (American Revolutionary War: General Benedict Arnold led British forces to).