A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 15 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 15 November?
- AD 655 King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed
King Oswiu of Northumbria defeated King Penda of Mercia and his ally, King Æthelhere of East Anglia, at the Battle of the Winwaed in what is now Yorkshire. - 1738 Born: William Herschel
William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus, was born in Hanover, in what is now Germany. - 1859 The Zappas Olympics bring the Olympic Games back to Athens
One of the first modern revivals of the ancient Olympic Games took place in Athens, Greece. - 1897 Born: Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, a Welsh politician, was born. - 1920 The League of Nations holds its first assembly
The League of Nations held its first assembly, or full meeting, in Geneva, Switzerland. - 1985 Britain and Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Irish Taoiseach, or prime minister, Garret FitzGerald signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough Castle. - 1988 The Soviet space shuttle Buran makes its only flight
The Soviet Union launched its space shuttle Buran, with nobody on board, on what turned out to be its only spaceflight. - 2020 Lewis Hamilton wins his record-equalling seventh world title
British racing driver Lewis Hamilton won the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul, which also won him his seventh Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 655 | King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed | 2026 − 655 = | |
| 1859 | The Zappas Olympics bring the Olympic Games back to Athens | 2026 − 1859 = | |
| 1920 | The League of Nations holds its first assembly | 2026 − 1920 = | |
| 1988 | The Soviet space shuttle Buran makes its only flight | 2026 − 1988 = |
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 League of Nations holds its first assembly
- The Zappas Olympics bring the Olympic Games back to Athens
- King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed
- Britain and Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed”?
- A. AD 655
- B. 1920
- C. 1922
In which year did this happen: “Lewis Hamilton wins his record-equalling seventh world title”?
- A. 2020
- B. 1988
- C. AD 655
Which of these happened first?
- A. King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed
- B. Lewis Hamilton wins his record-equalling seventh world title
- C. Britain and Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 15 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 655 → 1,371 years; 1859 → 167 years; 1920 → 106 years; 1988 → 38 years.
Order: 1 = King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed (AD 655), 2 = The Zappas Olympics bring the Olympic Games back to Athens (1859), 3 = The League of Nations holds its first assembly (1920), 4 = Britain and Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985).
Quiz: 1. A (AD 655); 2. A (2020); 3. A (King Oswiu of Northumbria wins the Battle of the Winwaed).