A group of 13 men made a plan to blow up London's Houses of Parliament. They thought that by killing the king and his ministers, they would get a Catholic king.

The plan

By November 1605, the plotters had collected enough barrels of gunpowder to carry out their plan. They hid them in a room under the House of Lords.

The problem

Some of the men's Catholic friends were going to be in Parliament when they planned to blow it up. One of the plotters wrote a letter to a friend, warning him to stay away on November 1.

But that man told another, and eventually the king found out. He ordered a search of the parliament building.

All the searchers found was a big pile of firewood under the House of Lords. A man guarding the wood claimed to be a servant called John Johnson. He was really Guy Fawkes.

Fawkes was arrested and searched. He had some matches in his pocket. This made the searchers suspicious. They looked more closely at the firewood and discovered the barrels of gunpowder hidden underneath.

The punishment

Fawkes was taken to the Tower of London, where he was tortured. After two days of torture, he confessed to the plot. The other men were arrested. Fawkes was executed on January 31, 1606.

Catastrophe avoided

It is now thought that if the gunpowder had been lit, not only the Houses of Parliament but many buildings nearby would have been burned down.

The law

To remind people of the plot, the government made November 5 a national holiday. It was observed until 1859.

Today, the date is marked with bonfires and fireworks displays. Little did Fawkes know that he would be remembered even four centuries later for his failure.

Laws against fireworks

Many countries have strict rules about fireworks. Fireworks can cause serious injury if they are not handled properly, especially around children and pets.

Now do this:

1 When is Fawkes remembered?

a. September 10

b. November 5

c. December 25

2 Where was Fawkes tortured?

a. at home

b. at Parliament

c. in the Tower of London

3 What is the other name for the night of Guy Fawkes celebrations?

a. Bonfire Night

b. Cracker Night

c. Dynamite Night

Answers:

1. b, 2. c, 3. a