Guy Fawkes: Who Is This Guy, Anyway?

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November
Catesby's plan involved blowing up the houses of Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605. The reason for that date? King James was due to open Parliament that day. At first, the group tried to tunnel under Parliament, but it changed tactics when Thomas Percy obtained a cellar under the House of Lords. It was filled with barrels of gunpowder, and Fawkes, because of his munitions experience in the Netherlands, was given the task of creating the explosion. In this 17th century engraving, Fawkes, far left, is discovered at his task.

• Guy Fawkes Day: What Does It Mean?