A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 2 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 2 December?
- 1697 Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated
The new St Paul's Cathedral in London was consecrated, which means it was officially blessed for worship. - 1759 Born: James Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist, a scientist who studies plants. - 1804 Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French
At Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French. - 1867 Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in America
The English writer Charles Dickens gave his first public reading in the United States, at Tremont Temple in Boston. - 1927 Ford introduces its new Model A car
The Ford Motor Company introduced its new Model A car. - 1942 Enrico Fermi's team starts the first nuclear chain reaction
Scientists led by Enrico Fermi started the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, in a reactor called Chicago Pile-1. - 1971 Six emirates join together to form the United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai and Umm al-Quwain joined together to form a new country, the United Arab Emirates. - 1999 Northern Ireland gets its own power-sharing government
The UK government handed some of its powers in Northern Ireland to a new Northern Ireland Executive.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1697 | Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated | 2026 − 1697 = | |
| 1804 | Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French | 2026 − 1804 = | |
| 1927 | Ford introduces its new Model A car | 2026 − 1927 = | |
| 1971 | Six emirates join together to form the United Arab Emirates | 2026 − 1971 = |
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 Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated
- Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French
- Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in America
- Ford introduces its new Model A car
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Northern Ireland gets its own power-sharing government”?
- A. 1867
- B. 1942
- C. 1999
In which year did this happen: “Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated”?
- A. 1697
- B. 1766
- C. 1982
Which of these happened first?
- A. Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in America
- B. Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated
- C. Northern Ireland gets its own power-sharing government
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 2 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1697 → 329 years; 1804 → 222 years; 1927 → 99 years; 1971 → 55 years.
Order: 1 = Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated (1697), 2 = Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French (1804), 3 = Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in America (1867), 4 = Ford introduces its new Model A car (1927).
Quiz: 1. C (1999); 2. A (1697); 3. B (Christopher Wren's new St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated).