A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 8 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 8 October?
- 1200 Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England
Isabella of Angoulême was crowned queen of England as the second wife of King John. - 1480 The Great Stand on the Ugra River ends Tatar rule over Moscow
The army of the Great Horde, led by Akhmat Khan, faced the army of Moscow across the Ugra River. - 1829 Stephenson's Rocket passes its big test at the Rainhill Trials
Stephenson's Rocket completed the full test set by the judges at the Rainhill Trials in Lancashire. - 1929 Born: Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd was a Labour MP for West Bromwich from 1973 to 2000. - 1932 The Indian Air Force is founded
The Indian Air Force was officially set up in British India. - 1965 Harold Wilson opens the tower now known as the BT Tower
Prime Minister Harold Wilson officially opened a new communications tower in central London, now called the BT Tower. - 1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
The Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. - 1982 Poland bans the Solidarity trade union
Poland's government banned Solidarity and all other trade unions.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 | Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England | 2026 − 1200 = | |
| 1829 | Stephenson's Rocket passes its big test at the Rainhill Trials | 2026 − 1829 = | |
| 1932 | The Indian Air Force is founded | 2026 − 1932 = | |
| 1970 | Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in Literature | 2026 − 1970 = |
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 Great Stand on the Ugra River ends Tatar rule over Moscow
- Stephenson's Rocket passes its big test at the Rainhill Trials
- The Indian Air Force is founded
- Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Indian Air Force is founded”?
- A. 1645
- B. 1932
- C. 1965
In which year did this happen: “Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England”?
- A. 1932
- B. 1200
- C. 1929
Which of these happened first?
- A. Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England
- B. The Indian Air Force is founded
- C. Stephenson's Rocket passes its big test at the Rainhill Trials
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 8 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1200 → 826 years; 1829 → 197 years; 1932 → 94 years; 1970 → 56 years.
Order: 1 = Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England (1200), 2 = The Great Stand on the Ugra River ends Tatar rule over Moscow (1480), 3 = Stephenson's Rocket passes its big test at the Rainhill Trials (1829), 4 = The Indian Air Force is founded (1932).
Quiz: 1. B (1932); 2. B (1200); 3. A (Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen of England).