A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 4 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 4 November?
- 1501 Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales
Catherine of Aragon met Arthur, Prince of Wales, the elder brother of the future King Henry VIII. The two were later married, but Arthur died a short time afterwards. - 1677 Princess Mary marries William of Orange
The future Queen Mary II married William, Prince of Orange, a leader in the Dutch Republic. - 1839 Chartists take part in the Newport Rising in Wales
Chartists in Wales took part in the Newport Rising, an armed protest against the authorities. - 1847 James Young Simpson discovers chloroform works as an anaesthetic
The Scottish doctor James Young Simpson discovered that chloroform could be used as an anaesthetic. - 1884 Born: Harry Ferguson
The Irish engineer and inventor Harry Ferguson was born. - 1890 The world's first deep-level ‘tube’ railway opens in London
The City and South London Railway officially opened, running for 3.2 miles (5.1 kilometres) between the City of London and Stockwell. - 1922 Howard Carter's team discovers the tomb of Tutankhamun
A team led by the British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. - 1953 Born: Peter Lord
The English animator Peter Lord was born.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1501 | Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales | 2026 − 1501 = | |
| 1839 | Chartists take part in the Newport Rising in Wales | 2026 − 1839 = | |
| 1884 | Born: Harry Ferguson | 2026 − 1884 = | |
| 1922 | Howard Carter's team discovers the tomb of Tutankhamun | 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!
- Princess Mary marries William of Orange
- James Young Simpson discovers chloroform works as an anaesthetic
- Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales
- Chartists take part in the Newport Rising in Wales
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Howard Carter's team discovers the tomb of Tutankhamun”?
- A. 1884
- B. 1922
- C. 1783
In which year did this happen: “The world's first deep-level ‘tube’ railway opens in London”?
- A. 1847
- B. 1890
- C. 2008
Which of these happened first?
- A. The world's first deep-level ‘tube’ railway opens in London
- B. Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales
- C. Howard Carter's team discovers the tomb of Tutankhamun
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 4 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1501 → 525 years; 1839 → 187 years; 1884 → 142 years; 1922 → 104 years.
Order: 1 = Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales (1501), 2 = Princess Mary marries William of Orange (1677), 3 = Chartists take part in the Newport Rising in Wales (1839), 4 = James Young Simpson discovers chloroform works as an anaesthetic (1847).
Quiz: 1. B (1922); 2. B (1890); 3. B (Catherine of Aragon meets Arthur, Prince of Wales).