A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 9 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 9 September?
- 1543 Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central…
- 1588 Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first…
- 1796 French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British…
- 1839 John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph
- 1882 A British force repels an Egyptian force led by Ahmed Urabi in the battle of…
- 1960 Born: Hugh Grant
- 1969 In Canada, the Official Languages Act comes into force
- 2015 Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1543 | Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central… | 2026 − 1543 = | |
| 1796 | French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British… | 2026 − 1796 = | |
| 1882 | A British force repels an Egyptian force led by Ahmed Urabi in the battle of… | 2026 − 1882 = | |
| 1969 | In Canada, the Official Languages Act comes into force | 2026 − 1969 = |
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!
- French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British…
- John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph
- Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first…
- Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom”?
- A. 1839
- B. 1914
- C. 2015
In which year did this happen: “French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British”?
- A. 1960
- B. 1914
- C. 1796
Which of these happened first?
- A. French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British
- B. Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central
- C. Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 9 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1543 → 483 years; 1796 → 230 years; 1882 → 144 years; 1969 → 57 years.
Order: 1 = Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central… (1543), 2 = Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first… (1588), 3 = French Revolutionary Wars: A naval engagement between French and British… (1796), 4 = John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph (1839).
Quiz: 1. C (2015); 2. C (1796); 3. B (Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned "Queen of Scots" in the central).