A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 16 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 16 December?
- 1431 Henry VI of England is crowned King of France in Paris
Henry VI of England was crowned King of France at Notre-Dame in Paris, during the Hundred Years' War. - 1485 Born: Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess who became Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII. They married in 1509. - 1653 Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector
Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, the head of state of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. - 1689 Parliament passes the Bill of Rights
The Parliament of England passed the Bill of Rights. - 1775 Born: Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist, born in Steventon, Hampshire. - 1882 Wales and England play the first Home Nations rugby match
Wales played England in the first match of the Home Nations Championship, the rugby union contest now called the Six Nations. - 1901 Beatrix Potter prints her own copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter printed 250 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit herself, after several publishers had turned it down. - 1905 Wales beat New Zealand in rugby's 'Match of the Century'
Wales played New Zealand at rugby in front of 47,000 people at Cardiff Arms Park.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1431 | Henry VI of England is crowned King of France in Paris | 2026 − 1431 = | |
| 1653 | Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector | 2026 − 1653 = | |
| 1775 | Born: Jane Austen | 2026 − 1775 = | |
| 1901 | Beatrix Potter prints her own copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit | 2026 − 1901 = |
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!
- Henry VI of England is crowned King of France in Paris
- Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector
- Parliament passes the Bill of Rights
- Wales and England play the first Home Nations rugby match
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector”?
- A. 1707
- B. 1485
- C. 1653
In which year did this happen: “Beatrix Potter prints her own copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit”?
- A. 1497
- B. 1893
- C. 1901
Which of these happened first?
- A. Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector
- B. Beatrix Potter prints her own copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- C. Parliament passes the Bill of Rights
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 16 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1431 → 595 years; 1653 → 373 years; 1775 → 251 years; 1901 → 125 years.
Order: 1 = Henry VI of England is crowned King of France in Paris (1431), 2 = Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector (1653), 3 = Parliament passes the Bill of Rights (1689), 4 = Wales and England play the first Home Nations rugby match (1882).
Quiz: 1. C (1653); 2. C (1901); 3. A (Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector).