A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 16 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 16 October?
- 1384 Jadwiga is crowned 'King' of Poland
Jadwiga was crowned ruler of Poland with the title 'King' rather than 'Queen'. - 1736 William Whiston's predicted comet fails to hit the Earth
The English mathematician William Whiston had predicted that a comet would strike the Earth, but it did not happen. - 1803 Born: Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson was an English engineer who designed railway engines and bridges. - 1834 Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster
A great fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster in London, the home of Parliament. - 1854 Born: Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer of plays, poems and stories. - 1869 Girton, England's first residential women's college, is founded
Girton College was founded by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first college for women at Cambridge. - 1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is published
C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published in the UK. It was the first of seven Chronicles of Narnia books, which came out between 1950 and 1956 with pictures by Pauline Baynes. - 1995 The Skye Bridge opens in Scotland
The Skye Bridge in Scotland opened.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1384 | Jadwiga is crowned 'King' of Poland | 2026 − 1384 = | |
| 1803 | Born: Robert Stephenson | 2026 − 1803 = | |
| 1854 | Born: Oscar Wilde | 2026 − 1854 = | |
| 1950 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is published | 2026 − 1950 = |
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!
- William Whiston's predicted comet fails to hit the Earth
- Girton, England's first residential women's college, is founded
- Jadwiga is crowned 'King' of Poland
- Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster”?
- A. 1869
- B. 1803
- C. 1834
In which year did this happen: “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is published”?
- A. 1995
- B. 1950
- C. 1869
Which of these happened first?
- A. Girton, England's first residential women's college, is founded
- B. Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster
- C. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is published
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 16 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1384 → 642 years; 1803 → 223 years; 1854 → 172 years; 1950 → 76 years.
Order: 1 = Jadwiga is crowned 'King' of Poland (1384), 2 = William Whiston's predicted comet fails to hit the Earth (1736), 3 = Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster (1834), 4 = Girton, England's first residential women's college, is founded (1869).
Quiz: 1. C (1834); 2. B (1950); 3. B (Fire destroys most of the Palace of Westminster).