A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 11 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 11 November?
- 1100 King Henry I marries Matilda of Scotland
King Henry I of England, the fourth son of William the Conqueror, married Matilda, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland. - 1675 Gottfried Leibniz uses integral calculus for the first time
German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz used integral calculus for the first time, to work out the area under a curve on a graph. - 1918 The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War
Early in the morning, Germany and the Allies, including Britain, signed an armistice in a railway carriage in a forest near Compiègne, in France. - 1920 The Cenotaph is unveiled and the Unknown Warrior is laid to rest
The Cenotaph, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was unveiled on Whitehall in London as the UK's national memorial to those from Britain and its empire who died in the First World War. - 1940 The Royal Navy makes the first all-aircraft attack on a fleet
During the Second World War, the Royal Navy attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto in the Battle of Taranto. - 1966 Gemini 12 launches with Buzz Aldrin on board
NASA launched Gemini 12, the tenth and final crewed flight of Project Gemini. - 1992 The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests
The General Synod of the Church of England voted to allow women to become priests. - 1999 A new law removes most hereditary peers from the House of Lords
The House of Lords Act received royal assent, the monarch's formal approval, and became law.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | King Henry I marries Matilda of Scotland | 2026 − 1100 = | |
| 1918 | The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War | 2026 − 1918 = | |
| 1940 | The Royal Navy makes the first all-aircraft attack on a fleet | 2026 − 1940 = | |
| 1992 | The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests | 2026 − 1992 = |
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!
- The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War
- The Cenotaph is unveiled and the Unknown Warrior is laid to rest
- Gottfried Leibniz uses integral calculus for the first time
- King Henry I marries Matilda of Scotland
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War”?
- A. 1620
- B. 1918
- C. 1999
In which year did this happen: “The Royal Navy makes the first all-aircraft attack on a fleet”?
- A. 1999
- B. 1982
- C. 1940
Which of these happened first?
- A. The Cenotaph is unveiled and the Unknown Warrior is laid to rest
- B. The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War
- C. The Royal Navy makes the first all-aircraft attack on a fleet
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 11 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1100 → 926 years; 1918 → 108 years; 1940 → 86 years; 1992 → 34 years.
Order: 1 = King Henry I marries Matilda of Scotland (1100), 2 = Gottfried Leibniz uses integral calculus for the first time (1675), 3 = The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War (1918), 4 = The Cenotaph is unveiled and the Unknown Warrior is laid to rest (1920).
Quiz: 1. B (1918); 2. C (1940); 3. B (The Armistice ends the fighting of the First World War).