A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 25 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 25 December?
- AD 597 Augustine baptises thousands of people in Kent at Christmas
Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, baptised thousands of people in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent on Christmas Day. - 1013 Viking leader Sweyn Forkbeard is proclaimed King of England
Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, took control of the Danelaw and was proclaimed King of England. - 1066 William the Conqueror is crowned King of England
William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day. - 1642 Born: Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton was an English mathematician and physicist and one of the most important scientists in history. - 1758 Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted
German astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch spotted a comet in the sky on Christmas Day. - 1990 Tim Berners-Lee finishes WorldWideWeb, the first web browser
By Christmas Day, the British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee had finished the first version of WorldWideWeb, the first web browser. - 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as leader of the Soviet Union
In a speech shown on television across the country, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union. - 2003 Britain's Beagle 2 lander arrives at Mars on Christmas Day
Beagle 2, a British lander carried to Mars by the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission, was due to land on Christmas Day.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 597 | Augustine baptises thousands of people in Kent at Christmas | 2026 − 597 = | |
| 1066 | William the Conqueror is crowned King of England | 2026 − 1066 = | |
| 1758 | Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted | 2026 − 1758 = | |
| 1991 | Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as leader of the Soviet Union | 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!
- Viking leader Sweyn Forkbeard is proclaimed King of England
- Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted
- William the Conqueror is crowned King of England
- Augustine baptises thousands of people in Kent at Christmas
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Tim Berners-Lee finishes WorldWideWeb, the first web browser”?
- A. 1776
- B. 1013
- C. 1990
In which year did this happen: “Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted”?
- A. 1046
- B. 1758
- C. 1013
Which of these happened first?
- A. Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted
- B. Tim Berners-Lee finishes WorldWideWeb, the first web browser
- C. William the Conqueror is crowned King of England
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 25 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 597 → 1,429 years; 1066 → 960 years; 1758 → 268 years; 1991 → 35 years.
Order: 1 = Augustine baptises thousands of people in Kent at Christmas (AD 597), 2 = Viking leader Sweyn Forkbeard is proclaimed King of England (1013), 3 = William the Conqueror is crowned King of England (1066), 4 = Halley's Comet returns, just as Edmond Halley predicted (1758).
Quiz: 1. C (1990); 2. B (1758); 3. C (William the Conqueror is crowned King of England).