A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 18 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 18 November?
- 1477 William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press
William Caxton printed a book called Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres, meaning 'Sayings of the Philosophers'. - 1493 Christopher Columbus sights the island of Puerto Rico
Christopher Columbus first saw the Caribbean island now known as Puerto Rico. - 1836 Born: W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert was an English writer, poet and illustrator. - 1883 North American railways start using time zones
Railway companies in the United States and Canada began using four standard time zones. - 1897 Born: Patrick Blackett
Patrick Blackett was a British physicist who won the 1948 Nobel Prize in Physics. - 1910 Suffragettes march on Parliament on 'Black Friday'
About 300 suffragettes marched to the Houses of Parliament in London to demand the right for women to vote. - 1916 The Battle of the Somme comes to an end
The British commander Douglas Haig called off the Battle of the Somme, which had begun on 1 July 1916. - 2011 Minecraft is officially released
The video game Minecraft was officially released as version 1.0, after more than two years of early testing by players.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1477 | William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press | 2026 − 1477 = | |
| 1836 | Born: W. S. Gilbert | 2026 − 1836 = | |
| 1897 | Born: Patrick Blackett | 2026 − 1897 = | |
| 1916 | The Battle of the Somme comes to an end | 2026 − 1916 = |
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!
- Christopher Columbus sights the island of Puerto Rico
- Suffragettes march on Parliament on 'Black Friday'
- North American railways start using time zones
- William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “The Battle of the Somme comes to an end”?
- A. 2011
- B. 1916
- C. 2013
In which year did this happen: “Suffragettes march on Parliament on 'Black Friday'”?
- A. 1928
- B. 1910
- C. 1916
Which of these happened first?
- A. William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press
- B. The Battle of the Somme comes to an end
- C. Suffragettes march on Parliament on 'Black Friday'
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 18 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1477 → 549 years; 1836 → 190 years; 1897 → 129 years; 1916 → 110 years.
Order: 1 = William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press (1477), 2 = Christopher Columbus sights the island of Puerto Rico (1493), 3 = North American railways start using time zones (1883), 4 = Suffragettes march on Parliament on 'Black Friday' (1910).
Quiz: 1. B (1916); 2. B (1910); 3. A (William Caxton prints an early book on England's first press).