A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 23 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 23 October?
- 1295 Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty
The first treaty of the Auld Alliance was signed in Paris. - 1448 Scotland defeats England at the Battle of Sark
Scotland won a clear victory over England at the Battle of Sark, also called the Battle of Lochmaben Stone. - 1642 The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill
Royalists, who supported the king, fought Parliamentarians near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire. - 1707 The first Parliament of Great Britain meets
The first Parliament of the new Kingdom of Great Britain met. - 1906 Alberto Santos-Dumont flies his 14-bis biplane
The Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont flew his aeroplane, the 14-bis, for 50 metres at a height of about four metres. - 1942 Born: Anita Roddick
The businesswoman and campaigner Anita Roddick was born. - 1956 The Hungarian Revolution begins with a student march
In Budapest, a peaceful student demonstration grew to thousands of people as it marched to the parliament building. - 2001 Apple unveils the iPod music player
Apple showed the world the iPod, a pocket-sized digital music player that had been developed in less than a year.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1295 | Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty | 2026 − 1295 = | |
| 1642 | The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill | 2026 − 1642 = | |
| 1906 | Alberto Santos-Dumont flies his 14-bis biplane | 2026 − 1906 = | |
| 1956 | The Hungarian Revolution begins with a student march | 2026 − 1956 = |
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!
- Scotland defeats England at the Battle of Sark
- The first Parliament of Great Britain meets
- Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty
- The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty”?
- A. 1448
- B. 1295
- C. 1906
In which year did this happen: “The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill”?
- A. 1942
- B. 1956
- C. 1642
Which of these happened first?
- A. The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill
- B. Scotland defeats England at the Battle of Sark
- C. Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 23 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1295 → 731 years; 1642 → 384 years; 1906 → 120 years; 1956 → 70 years.
Order: 1 = Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty (1295), 2 = Scotland defeats England at the Battle of Sark (1448), 3 = The first major battle of the English Civil War is fought at Edgehill (1642), 4 = The first Parliament of Great Britain meets (1707).
Quiz: 1. B (1295); 2. C (1642); 3. C (Scotland and France sign the first Auld Alliance treaty).