A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 20 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 20 September?
- 1066 Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the…
- 1643 First English Civil War: The First Battle of Newbury was fought in Berkshire
- 1854 Crimean War: British and French troops defeat Russians at the Battle of Alma
- 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal…
- 1860 The future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom begins the first visit to…
- 1906 The ocean liner RMS Mauretania, the largest and fastest ship in the world at…
- 1911 The White Star Line's RMS Olympic collides with the British warship HMS Hawke
- 1988 British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gave a landmark speech at the Belfry…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1066 | Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the… | 2026 − 1066 = | |
| 1854 | Crimean War: British and French troops defeat Russians at the Battle of Alma | 2026 − 1854 = | |
| 1860 | The future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom begins the first visit to… | 2026 − 1860 = | |
| 1911 | The White Star Line's RMS Olympic collides with the British warship HMS Hawke | 2026 − 1911 = |
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!
- First English Civil War: The First Battle of Newbury was fought in Berkshire
- The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal…
- Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the…
- Crimean War: British and French troops defeat Russians at the Battle of Alma
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gave a landmark speech at the Belfry”?
- A. 1217
- B. 1643
- C. 1988
In which year did this happen: “Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the”?
- A. 1988
- B. 1066
- C. 1906
Which of these happened first?
- A. The ocean liner RMS Mauretania, the largest and fastest ship in the world at
- B. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gave a landmark speech at the Belfry
- C. Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 20 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1066 → 960 years; 1854 → 172 years; 1860 → 166 years; 1911 → 115 years.
Order: 1 = Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the… (1066), 2 = First English Civil War: The First Battle of Newbury was fought in Berkshire (1643), 3 = Crimean War: British and French troops defeat Russians at the Battle of Alma (1854), 4 = The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal… (1857).
Quiz: 1. C (1988); 2. B (1066); 3. C (Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson defeated the).