A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 24 October
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 24 October?
- 1590 John White returns to England without finding the Lost Colony
John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony in North America, returned to England after failing to find the missing settlers. - 1596 Storms wreck the second Spanish Armada sent against England
King Philip II of Spain sent a second Spanish Armada to strike against England. - 1830 Born: Marianne North
Marianne North, the English biologist and botanical artist, was born in Hastings. - 1851 William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus
The English astronomer William Lassell discovered Ariel and Umbriel, two moons of the planet Uranus. - 1857 Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football club, is founded
Sheffield Football Club was founded in England. - 1885 A shipwreck at Whitby inspires a scene in Dracula
During a gale, the Russian cargo ship Dmitry tried to shelter in the harbour at Whitby, England. - 1945 The United Nations is officially created
The Charter of the United Nations came into force, officially creating the United Nations. - 2003 Concorde makes its last passenger flight
Concorde, the supersonic airliner, made its last commercial flight.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1590 | John White returns to England without finding the Lost Colony | 2026 − 1590 = | |
| 1830 | Born: Marianne North | 2026 − 1830 = | |
| 1857 | Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football club, is founded | 2026 − 1857 = | |
| 1945 | The United Nations is officially created | 2026 − 1945 = |
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!
- John White returns to England without finding the Lost Colony
- William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus
- Storms wreck the second Spanish Armada sent against England
- Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football club, is founded
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus”?
- A. 1851
- B. 1911
- C. 1596
In which year did this happen: “A shipwreck at Whitby inspires a scene in Dracula”?
- A. 1885
- B. 1590
- C. 1964
Which of these happened first?
- A. William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus
- B. A shipwreck at Whitby inspires a scene in Dracula
- C. Concorde makes its last passenger flight
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 24 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1590 → 436 years; 1830 → 196 years; 1857 → 169 years; 1945 → 81 years.
Order: 1 = John White returns to England without finding the Lost Colony (1590), 2 = Storms wreck the second Spanish Armada sent against England (1596), 3 = William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus (1851), 4 = Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football club, is founded (1857).
Quiz: 1. A (1851); 2. A (1885); 3. A (William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus).