A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 5 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 5 December?
- 1578 Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world
English sailor Francis Drake raided the port of Valparaíso on the Pacific coast of South America. - 1766 James Christie holds his first auction in London
James Christie, a Scottish auctioneer, held his first sale in London. - 1830 Born: Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti was an English poet and writer. - 1914 Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out
Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition began. - 1921 The FA bans women's football from league grounds
The Football Association (FA) banned women's football in England from being played at league grounds. - 1958 Britain's first motorway, the Preston Bypass, opens
The Preston Bypass, the United Kingdom's first motorway, opened to the public. - 1958 The Queen launches direct dialling for long-distance phone calls
Queen Elizabeth II launched Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) in the United Kingdom. - 2005 The first civil partnerships are registered in the UK
The Civil Partnership Act came into effect, and the first civil partnership was registered in the United Kingdom.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1578 | Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world | 2026 − 1578 = | |
| 1830 | Born: Christina Rossetti | 2026 − 1830 = | |
| 1921 | The FA bans women's football from league grounds | 2026 − 1921 = | |
| 1958 | The Queen launches direct dialling for long-distance phone calls | 2026 − 1958 = |
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 FA bans women's football from league grounds
- Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world
- James Christie holds his first auction in London
- Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Britain's first motorway, the Preston Bypass, opens”?
- A. 1914
- B. 1958
- C. 1941
In which year did this happen: “Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out”?
- A. 1941
- B. 2014
- C. 1914
Which of these happened first?
- A. Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out
- B. Britain's first motorway, the Preston Bypass, opens
- C. Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 5 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1578 → 448 years; 1830 → 196 years; 1921 → 105 years; 1958 → 68 years.
Order: 1 = Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world (1578), 2 = James Christie holds his first auction in London (1766), 3 = Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets out (1914), 4 = The FA bans women's football from league grounds (1921).
Quiz: 1. B (1958); 2. C (1914); 3. C (Francis Drake raids Valparaíso on his voyage round the world).