A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 30 September
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 30 September?
- 1342 English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix
An English and Breton army beat a much larger French and Breton force near Morlaix, in Brittany. - 1399 Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England
Henry Bolingbroke was proclaimed King Henry IV of England. - 1520 Suleiman the Magnificent becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Suleiman I became sultan, or ruler, of the Ottoman Empire. - 1791 Mozart's opera The Magic Flute is performed for the first time
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart conducted the first performance of his opera The Magic Flute in Vienna. - 1905 Born: Nevill Mott
Sir Nevill Mott was a British physicist who studied how electrons behave inside materials. - 1909 RMS Mauretania sets an Atlantic speed record that lasts 20 years
The British ocean liner RMS Mauretania made a record-breaking westbound crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. - 1938 Britain, France, Germany and Italy sign the Munich Agreement
Neville Chamberlain of Britain, Adolf Hitler of Germany and the leaders of France and Italy signed the Munich Agreement. - 1944 Born: Jimmy Johnstone
Jimmy Johnstone was a Scottish footballer who played for Celtic for 13 years.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1342 | English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix | 2026 − 1342 = | |
| 1520 | Suleiman the Magnificent becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire | 2026 − 1520 = | |
| 1905 | Born: Nevill Mott | 2026 − 1905 = | |
| 1938 | Britain, France, Germany and Italy sign the Munich Agreement | 2026 − 1938 = |
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!
- Suleiman the Magnificent becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Mozart's opera The Magic Flute is performed for the first time
- English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix
- Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix”?
- A. 1342
- B. 1949
- C. 1966
In which year did this happen: “Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England”?
- A. 1399
- B. 1909
- C. 1949
Which of these happened first?
- A. English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix
- B. RMS Mauretania sets an Atlantic speed record that lasts 20 years
- C. Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 30 September. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1342 → 684 years; 1520 → 506 years; 1905 → 121 years; 1938 → 88 years.
Order: 1 = English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix (1342), 2 = Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England (1399), 3 = Suleiman the Magnificent becomes sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1520), 4 = Mozart's opera The Magic Flute is performed for the first time (1791).
Quiz: 1. A (1342); 2. A (1399); 3. A (English and Breton troops win the Battle of Morlaix).