A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 21 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 21 September?
- 1170 Norman invasion of Ireland: English and Irish forces conquered Dublin, forcing…
- 1776 American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out…
- 1780 American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to…
- 1866 Born: H. G. Wells
- 1918 World War I: The Battle of Nazareth ended with the British Empire victorious…
- 1937 J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy children's novel The Hobbit
- 1964 Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom, but remains in the…
- 1965 Portugal accepted a diplomatic mission from Southern Rhodesia despite…
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1170 | Norman invasion of Ireland: English and Irish forces conquered Dublin, forcing… | 2026 − 1170 = | |
| 1780 | American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to… | 2026 − 1780 = | |
| 1918 | World War I: The Battle of Nazareth ended with the British Empire victorious… | 2026 − 1918 = | |
| 1964 | Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom, but remains in the… | 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!
- American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to…
- World War I: The Battle of Nazareth ended with the British Empire victorious…
- American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out…
- Norman invasion of Ireland: English and Irish forces conquered Dublin, forcing…
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy children's novel The Hobbit”?
- A. 1874
- B. 1866
- C. 1937
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out”?
- A. 1745
- B. 1776
- C. 1964
Which of these happened first?
- A. American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out
- B. Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom, but remains in the
- C. J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy children's novel The Hobbit
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 21 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1170 → 856 years; 1780 → 246 years; 1918 → 108 years; 1964 → 62 years.
Order: 1 = Norman invasion of Ireland: English and Irish forces conquered Dublin, forcing… (1170), 2 = American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out… (1776), 3 = American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to… (1780), 4 = World War I: The Battle of Nazareth ended with the British Empire victorious… (1918).
Quiz: 1. C (1937); 2. B (1776); 3. A (American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out).