A Day in the Past · history worksheet
On this day: 31 December
Name: Class: Date:
1. What happened on 31 December?
- 1600 The East India Company receives its charter
The East India Company was given its charter, an official document allowing it to operate. - 1720 Born: Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie)
Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, was born in Rome, Italy. - 1853 A New Year's Eve dinner is held inside a model Iguanodon
To celebrate the launch of his dinosaur models, the sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins held a New Year's Eve dinner. - 1857 Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada
Queen Victoria chose Ottawa, then a small logging town, as the capital of the Province of Canada. - 1879 Thomas Edison shows his electric light to the public
The American inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated his incandescent electric lighting to the public for the first time, at Menlo Park in New Jersey. - 1907 New York holds its first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square
New York City held its first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square. - 1968 The Tu-144 becomes the first supersonic airliner to fly
The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 made its first flight, from Zhukovsky Airport. - 2004 Taipei 101 opens as the world's tallest building
Taipei 101, a skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, opened to the public.
2. How long ago?
This year is 2026. Work out how many years ago each thing happened.
| Year | What happened | Sum | Years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1600 | The East India Company receives its charter | 2026 − 1600 = | |
| 1853 | A New Year's Eve dinner is held inside a model Iguanodon | 2026 − 1853 = | |
| 1879 | Thomas Edison shows his electric light to the public | 2026 − 1879 = | |
| 1968 | The Tu-144 becomes the first supersonic airliner to fly | 2026 − 1968 = |
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!
- A New Year's Eve dinner is held inside a model Iguanodon
- Thomas Edison shows his electric light to the public
- Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada
- The East India Company receives its charter
4. Quick quiz
In which year did this happen: “Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada”?
- A. 1600
- B. 1857
- C. 1907
In which year did this happen: “The East India Company receives its charter”?
- A. 2004
- B. 1600
- C. 1994
Which of these happened first?
- A. A New Year's Eve dinner is held inside a model Iguanodon
- B. Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada
- C. The East India Company receives its charter
5. Draw it!
Draw your favourite event from 31 December. Then write a sentence about why you chose it.
Answers for teachers
How long ago: 1600 → 426 years; 1853 → 173 years; 1879 → 147 years; 1968 → 58 years.
Order: 1 = The East India Company receives its charter (1600), 2 = A New Year's Eve dinner is held inside a model Iguanodon (1853), 3 = Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada (1857), 4 = Thomas Edison shows his electric light to the public (1879).
Quiz: 1. B (1857); 2. B (1600); 3. C (The East India Company receives its charter).