A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 20 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 20 October?
- 1740 Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands
Maria Theresa became ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, which included Austria, Hungary, Bohemia and many other lands. - 1774 American colonies agree to boycott British trade
Leaders of the American colonies, meeting as the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, adopted the Continental Association. - 1891 Born: James Chadwick
The British physicist James Chadwick was born. - 1910 The ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched
The British ocean liner RMS Olympic was launched, which means she slid into the water for the first time. - 1961 Born: Ian Rush
The Welsh footballer Ian Rush was born. - 1967 Two men film a mystery figure they say is Bigfoot
Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin filmed an unidentified figure in a forest in northern California. - 1969 Scientists find the first evidence of quarks
Scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California published the results of their experiments. - 2022 Liz Truss steps down after 49 days as Prime Minister
Liz Truss stepped down as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, during a political crisis.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1740 | Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands | 2026 − 1740 = | |
| 1891 | Born: James Chadwick | 2026 − 1891 = | |
| 1961 | Born: Ian Rush | 2026 − 1961 = | |
| 1969 | Scientists find the first evidence of quarks | 2026 − 1969 = |
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 ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched
- Two men film a mystery figure they say is Bigfoot
- American colonies agree to boycott British trade
- Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Liz Truss steps down after 49 days as Prime Minister”?
- A. 1973
- B. 1818
- C. 2022
In which year did this happen: “The ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched”?
- A. 1891
- B. 1910
- C. 2022
Which of these happened first?
- A. Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands
- B. Liz Truss steps down after 49 days as Prime Minister
- C. The ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 20 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1740 → 286 years; 1891 → 135 years; 1961 → 65 years; 1969 → 57 years.
Order: 1 = Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands (1740), 2 = American colonies agree to boycott British trade (1774), 3 = The ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched (1910), 4 = Two men film a mystery figure they say is Bigfoot (1967).
Quiz: 1. C (2022); 2. B (1910); 3. A (Maria Theresa becomes ruler of the Habsburg lands).