A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 September?
- 1066 Norwegian king Harald Hardrada lands with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the…
- 1709 Born: Samuel Johnson
- 1809 The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, opens
- 1879 The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were…
- 1898 The Fashoda Incident triggers the last war scare between Britain and France
- 1948 The Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England concluded
- 1964 The wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of…
- 2014 Scotland votes against independence from the United Kingdom, by 55% to 45%
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1066 | Norwegian king Harald Hardrada lands with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the… | 2026 − 1066 = | |
| 1809 | The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, opens | 2026 − 1809 = | |
| 1898 | The Fashoda Incident triggers the last war scare between Britain and France | 2026 − 1898 = | |
| 1964 | The wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of… | 2026 − 1964 = |
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!
- The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were…
- The Fashoda Incident triggers the last war scare between Britain and France
- Norwegian king Harald Hardrada lands with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the…
- The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, opens
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England concluded”?
- A. 1948
- B. 1973
- C. 1898
In which year did this happen: “The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were”?
- A. 1879
- B. 1066
- C. 1949
Which of these happened first?
- A. The wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of
- B. The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were
- C. The Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England concluded
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1066 → 960 years; 1809 → 217 years; 1898 → 128 years; 1964 → 62 years.
Order: 1 = Norwegian king Harald Hardrada lands with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the… (1066), 2 = The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, opens (1809), 3 = The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were… (1879), 4 = The Fashoda Incident triggers the last war scare between Britain and France (1898).
Quiz: 1. A (1948); 2. A (1879); 3. B (The Blackpool Illuminations in the English seaside town of Blackpool were).