A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 22 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 22 December?
- 1135 Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England
Three weeks after King Henry I died, Stephen of Blois claimed the throne. - 1808 Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is performed for the first time
Ludwig van Beethoven held a concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, conducting and playing the piano himself. - 1937 The Lincoln Tunnel opens under New York's Hudson River
The Lincoln Tunnel opened, running about 2.4 kilometres under the Hudson River. - 1962 Born: Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes is an English actor and director, born in Ipswich, Suffolk. - 1965 A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads
A speed limit of 70 miles per hour (about 110 km/h) began on all country roads in the United Kingdom, including motorways. - 1971 The charity Doctors Without Borders is founded in Paris
The charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which is French for Doctors Without Borders, was founded in Paris, France. - 1989 Berlin's Brandenburg Gate reopens after nearly 30 years
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin reopened after being closed for nearly 30 years. - 2014 US officials rule that a monkey's selfie cannot be copyrighted
The United States Copyright Office said that a photograph taken by a monkey could not be registered for copyright.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1135 | Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England | 2026 − 1135 = | |
| 1937 | The Lincoln Tunnel opens under New York's Hudson River | 2026 − 1937 = | |
| 1965 | A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads | 2026 − 1965 = | |
| 1989 | Berlin's Brandenburg Gate reopens after nearly 30 years | 2026 − 1989 = |
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 Lincoln Tunnel opens under New York's Hudson River
- A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads
- Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England
- Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is performed for the first time
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England”?
- A. 1135
- B. 1962
- C. 1937
In which year did this happen: “A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads”?
- A. 1965
- B. 1885
- C. 1989
Which of these happened first?
- A. Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England
- B. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is performed for the first time
- C. A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 22 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1135 → 891 years; 1937 → 89 years; 1965 → 61 years; 1989 → 37 years.
Order: 1 = Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England (1135), 2 = Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is performed for the first time (1808), 3 = The Lincoln Tunnel opens under New York's Hudson River (1937), 4 = A 70 mph speed limit starts on Britain's motorways and country roads (1965).
Quiz: 1. A (1135); 2. A (1965); 3. A (Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England).