UK marks Guy Fawkes Night with firework displays across the country
The gist
Displays are scheduled across the UK on November 5, from free London and Cambridge events to Cardiff shows.
The tradition marks a 1605 plot to blow up Parliament.
How it unfolded
- Nov 5, 1605Guards discovered Guy Fawkes in a cellar beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder, foiling the plot to kill King James I; Fawkes was arrested in the early hours.
- Jan 1606Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act, making November 5 an annual day of thanksgiving.
- 1888The Brockham celebrations date back to this year and still include a historic roast-pig auction.
Key terms
- Guy Fawkes Night
- Annual British commemoration on 5 November marked by bonfires and fireworks, recalling the foiled 1605 Gunpowder Plot.
- Gunpowder Plot
- Failed 1605 attempt by English Catholics led by Robert Catesby to kill King James I by blowing up Parliament.
- Observance of 5th November Act
- English act of Parliament passed in 1606 making 5 November an annual day of thanksgiving after the Gunpowder Plot.
Source: Wikipedia