A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 October?
- 1016 King Cnut's Danish army wins the Battle of Assandun
At the Battle of Assandun in Essex, a Danish army led by King Cnut defeated the English army of King Edmund Ironside. - 1597 Spain's third armada sails against England but fails
King Philip II of Spain sent a third armada, or war fleet, against England. - 1748 The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, also called the Treaty of Aachen, was signed, ending the War of the Austrian Succession. - 1851 Moby-Dick is first published in London as The Whale
Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick was first published in London, under the title The Whale. - 1873 Renton beat Kilmarnock in the first ever Scottish Cup match
Renton beat Kilmarnock 2–0 in the very first match of the first Scottish Cup. - 1887 Brahms conducts the first performance of his Double Concerto
German composer Johannes Brahms conducted the first performance of his Double Concerto, written for violin, cello and orchestra. - 1922 The British Broadcasting Company, the first BBC, is formed
The British Broadcasting Company was formed by a group of British and American electrical companies. - 1929 The Persons Case rules that women are 'persons' in Canadian law
In the famous Persons Case, Britain's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled that women counted as 'persons' under Canadian law.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1016 | King Cnut's Danish army wins the Battle of Assandun | 2026 − 1016 = | |
| 1748 | The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession | 2026 − 1748 = | |
| 1873 | Renton beat Kilmarnock in the first ever Scottish Cup match | 2026 − 1873 = | |
| 1922 | The British Broadcasting Company, the first BBC, is formed | 2026 − 1922 = |
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!
- King Cnut's Danish army wins the Battle of Assandun
- The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession
- Spain's third armada sails against England but fails
- Moby-Dick is first published in London as The Whale
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Moby-Dick is first published in London as The Whale”?
- A. 1851
- B. 1967
- C. 1775
In which year did this happen: “Renton beat Kilmarnock in the first ever Scottish Cup match”?
- A. 1929
- B. 1967
- C. 1873
Which of these happened first?
- A. Moby-Dick is first published in London as The Whale
- B. Renton beat Kilmarnock in the first ever Scottish Cup match
- C. Spain's third armada sails against England but fails
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1016 → 1,010 years; 1748 → 278 years; 1873 → 153 years; 1922 → 104 years.
Order: 1 = King Cnut's Danish army wins the Battle of Assandun (1016), 2 = Spain's third armada sails against England but fails (1597), 3 = The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession (1748), 4 = Moby-Dick is first published in London as The Whale (1851).
Quiz: 1. A (1851); 2. C (1873); 3. C (Spain's third armada sails against England but fails).