A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 8 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 8 December?
- 1542 Born: Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, was the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. - 1660 Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England
Margaret Hughes played Desdemona in Shakespeare's play Othello in London. - 1914 The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands
In the First World War, a squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeated Germany's East Asia Squadron in the South Atlantic Ocean. - 1941 Born: Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoff Hurst is an English former footballer who played as a striker. - 1941 Roosevelt calls Pearl Harbor 'a date which will live in infamy'
The day after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt said 7 December 1941 was 'a date which will live in infamy'. - 1987 Reagan and Gorbachev sign a treaty to limit nuclear weapons
At the White House, US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. - 1991 Leaders agree that the Soviet Union has ceased to exist
The leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords at a country house in Belarus. - 2013 Metallica becomes the first band to play on all seven continents
The American heavy metal band Metallica played a concert in Antarctica.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1542 | Born: Mary, Queen of Scots | 2026 − 1542 = | |
| 1914 | The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands | 2026 − 1914 = | |
| 1941 | Roosevelt calls Pearl Harbor 'a date which will live in infamy' | 2026 − 1941 = | |
| 1991 | Leaders agree that the Soviet Union has ceased to exist | 2026 − 1991 = |
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!
- Roosevelt calls Pearl Harbor 'a date which will live in infamy'
- Reagan and Gorbachev sign a treaty to limit nuclear weapons
- Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England
- The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England”?
- A. 2010
- B. 1941
- C. 1660
In which year did this happen: “The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands”?
- A. 1914
- B. 2010
- C. 1542
Which of these happened first?
- A. Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England
- B. Metallica becomes the first band to play on all seven continents
- C. The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 8 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1542 → 484 years; 1914 → 112 years; 1941 → 85 years; 1991 → 35 years.
Order: 1 = Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England (1660), 2 = The Royal Navy wins the Battle of the Falkland Islands (1914), 3 = Roosevelt calls Pearl Harbor 'a date which will live in infamy' (1941), 4 = Reagan and Gorbachev sign a treaty to limit nuclear weapons (1987).
Quiz: 1. C (1660); 2. A (1914); 3. A (Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional actress in England).