A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 6 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 6 November?
- 1217 Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest
The young King Henry III issued the Charter of the Forest. - 1494 Born: Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I, known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was born. - 1794 French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea
Two Royal Navy warships, HMS Alexander and HMS Canada, were sailing home through the Celtic Sea when a large French squadron intercepted them. - 1856 George Eliot sends off her first story for publication
Mary Ann Evans sent off the first story of what became Scenes of Clerical Life, her first published work of fiction. - 1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States
Abraham Lincoln won the US presidential election, becoming the 16th president of the United States. - 1868 Red Cloud signs the Treaty of Fort Laramie
Red Cloud, a leader of the Oglala Lakota people, signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie. - 1869 Rutgers beats Princeton in the first college American football game
In New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rutgers College beat the College of New Jersey 6–4. - 1917 Canadian troops capture Passchendaele
During the First World War, Canadian forces captured the village of Passchendaele in Belgium from the Germans.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1217 | Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest | 2026 − 1217 = | |
| 1794 | French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea | 2026 − 1794 = | |
| 1860 | Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States | 2026 − 1860 = | |
| 1869 | Rutgers beats Princeton in the first college American football game | 2026 − 1869 = |
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!
- Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States
- Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest
- French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea
- George Eliot sends off her first story for publication
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest”?
- A. 1661
- B. 1794
- C. 1217
In which year did this happen: “French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea”?
- A. 1997
- B. 1794
- C. 1917
Which of these happened first?
- A. George Eliot sends off her first story for publication
- B. Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest
- C. French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 6 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1217 → 809 years; 1794 → 232 years; 1860 → 166 years; 1869 → 157 years.
Order: 1 = Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest (1217), 2 = French warships capture HMS Alexander in the Celtic Sea (1794), 3 = George Eliot sends off her first story for publication (1856), 4 = Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States (1860).
Quiz: 1. C (1217); 2. B (1794); 3. B (Henry III issues the Charter of the Forest).