A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 26 November
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 26 November?
- 1607 Born: John Harvard
John Harvard was an English minister, born in Southwark, which is now part of London. - 1778 Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui
The British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to visit Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean. - 1805 Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct opens in Wales
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct officially opened, carrying the Llangollen Canal high across the River Dee in north-east Wales. - 1922 Howard Carter sees 'wonderful things' inside Tutankhamun's tomb
In the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, the British archaeologist Howard Carter made a tiny hole in the doorway of Tutankhamun's tomb. - 1977 A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England
In parts of southern England, the sound of a Southern Television broadcast was suddenly replaced by a strange voice. - 1998 Tony Blair is first UK prime minister to address the Irish parliament
Tony Blair became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to speak to the Oireachtas, the parliament of the Republic of Ireland. - 2003 Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol
Concorde, the supersonic airliner built jointly by Britain and France, made its final flight, over Bristol in England. - 2011 NASA launches the Curiosity rover on its way to Mars
NASA launched its Mars Science Laboratory mission from Cape Canaveral, carrying the Curiosity rover.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1607 | Born: John Harvard | 2026 − 1607 = | |
| 1805 | Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct opens in Wales | 2026 − 1805 = | |
| 1977 | A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England | 2026 − 1977 = | |
| 2003 | Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol | 2026 − 2003 = |
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!
- Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct opens in Wales
- A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England
- Howard Carter sees 'wonderful things' inside Tutankhamun's tomb
- Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Tony Blair is first UK prime minister to address the Irish parliament”?
- A. 1922
- B. 1965
- C. 1998
In which year did this happen: “A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England”?
- A. 1965
- B. 1970
- C. 1977
Which of these happened first?
- A. Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol
- B. Tony Blair is first UK prime minister to address the Irish parliament
- C. A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 26 November. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1607 → 419 years; 1805 → 221 years; 1977 → 49 years; 2003 → 23 years.
Order: 1 = Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui (1778), 2 = Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct opens in Wales (1805), 3 = Howard Carter sees 'wonderful things' inside Tutankhamun's tomb (1922), 4 = A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England (1977).
Quiz: 1. C (1998); 2. C (1977); 3. C (A mystery voice takes over a TV broadcast in southern England).