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A Day in the Past · history worksheet

On this day: 27 October

Name: Class: Date:

1. What happened on 27 October?

  1. 1401 Born: Catherine of Valois
    Catherine of Valois was a French princess, the daughter of King Charles VI of France.
  2. 1644 The Second Battle of Newbury is fought in the English Civil War
    The Second Battle of Newbury was fought at Speen, next to the town of Newbury in Berkshire.
  3. 1775 George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America
    King George III gave a speech at the opening of Parliament about trouble in Britain's Thirteen Colonies in America.
  4. 1914 HMS Audacious sinks after hitting a mine, and it is kept secret
    Early in the First World War, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Audacious hit a German mine.
  5. 1914 Born: Dylan Thomas
    Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, born in 1914.
  6. 1936 Wallis Simpson's divorce sets the Abdication Crisis in motion
    Wallis Simpson, an American, was granted a divorce from her second husband.
  7. 1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines becomes independent
    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
  8. 2014 British combat operations in Afghanistan come to an end
    Britain withdrew from Afghanistan at the end of Operation Herrick, the name for its military operations there.

2. How long ago?

This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.

YearWhat happenedSumYears ago
1401Born: Catherine of Valois2026 − 1401 =
1775George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America2026 − 1775 =
1914Born: Dylan Thomas2026 − 1914 =
1979Saint Vincent and the Grenadines becomes independent2026 − 1979 =

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!

4. Quick quiz

  1. In which year did this happen: “George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America”?

    • A. 1904
    • B. 1994
    • C. 1775

  2. In which year did this happen: “HMS Audacious sinks after hitting a mine, and it is kept secret”?

    • A. 1914
    • B. 1644
    • C. 1401

  3. Which of these happened first?

    • A. George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America
    • B. Wallis Simpson's divorce sets the Abdication Crisis in motion
    • C. HMS Audacious sinks after hitting a mine, and it is kept secret

5. Draw it!

Draw your favourite event from 27 October. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.

Answers for teachers

How long ago: 1401 → 625 years; 1775 → 251 years; 1914 → 112 years; 1979 → 47 years.

Order: 1 = The Second Battle of Newbury is fought in the English Civil War (1644), 2 = George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America (1775), 3 = HMS Audacious sinks after hitting a mine, and it is kept secret (1914), 4 = Wallis Simpson's divorce sets the Abdication Crisis in motion (1936).

Quiz: 1. C (1775); 2. A (1914); 3. A (George III speaks to Parliament about the rebellion in America).