A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 6 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 6 October?
- 1762 Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain
British forces won the Battle of Manila, which had begun on 24 September. - 1789 King Louis XVI is forced to leave the Palace of Versailles
The day after the Women's March on Versailles, King Louis XVI was forced to leave his palace at Versailles. - 1908 Austria-Hungary takes over Bosnia and Herzegovina
Austria-Hungary announced that it was annexing – officially taking over – Bosnia and Herzegovina. - 1910 Born: Barbara Castle
Barbara Castle was a Labour politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1979. - 1927 The Jazz Singer brings sound and speech to the cinema
The Jazz Singer, an American film made by Warner Bros., was released. - 1995 Astronomers announce the first planet found around a Sun-like star
Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced that they had found a planet circling 51 Pegasi, a star like our Sun. - 2007 Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered trip around the world
English explorer Jason Lewis became the first person to travel around the world using only human power – no engines and no sails. - 2008 MESSENGER discovers a giant crater on Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER space probe discovered a huge crater on the planet Mercury during its second flyby.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1762 | Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain | 2026 − 1762 = | |
| 1908 | Austria-Hungary takes over Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2026 − 1908 = | |
| 1927 | The Jazz Singer brings sound and speech to the cinema | 2026 − 1927 = | |
| 2007 | Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered trip around the world | 2026 − 2007 = |
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!
- Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain
- Austria-Hungary takes over Bosnia and Herzegovina
- The Jazz Singer brings sound and speech to the cinema
- King Louis XVI is forced to leave the Palace of Versailles
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain”?
- A. 1762
- B. 1910
- C. 1903
In which year did this happen: “Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered trip around the world”?
- A. 2007
- B. 1600
- C. 1789
Which of these happened first?
- A. Austria-Hungary takes over Bosnia and Herzegovina
- B. Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered trip around the world
- C. Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 6 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1762 → 264 years; 1908 → 118 years; 1927 → 99 years; 2007 → 19 years.
Order: 1 = Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain (1762), 2 = King Louis XVI is forced to leave the Palace of Versailles (1789), 3 = Austria-Hungary takes over Bosnia and Herzegovina (1908), 4 = The Jazz Singer brings sound and speech to the cinema (1927).
Quiz: 1. A (1762); 2. A (2007); 3. C (Britain wins the Battle of Manila against Spain).