Fergie's Tech Blog

31 January 1606: Happy Death Day, Guy Fawkes

Image from "V For Vendetta" in which the central character wears a Guy Fawkes mask.

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes, was an English soldier and member of a group of Roman Catholics who attempted to carry out the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605.

The Gunpowder Plot was a plan to assassinate the Protestant King James I (James VI of Scotland) and the members of both houses of the Parliament of England, by blowing up Westminster Palace during the formal opening session of the 1605 Parliament, in which the king addressed a joint assembly of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Guy Fawkes was in large part responsible for the later stages of the plan's execution. His activities were detected before the plan's completion, and following a severe interrogation involving the use of torture and a trial in Westminster Hall by Judge John Popham, he and his co-conspirators were executed for treason and attempted murder. Guy Fawkes' failure (or the attempt) is remembered by Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night) on 5 November.

posted by Fergie @ 1/31/2007 12:15:00 AM