Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot occurred on November 5, 1605. This failed conspiracy targeted the Houses of Parliament in London during its state opening by King James I.

Plot Timeline

The core group of Catholic conspirators, led by Robert Catesby, first met on May 20, 1604, and began planning to use gunpowder stored in a rented cellar under the House of Lords. They initially considered tunneling but secured the vault by mid-1605, stockpiling 36 barrels of gunpowder starting in July. Plague delays pushed Parliament's opening from February to November 5, giving them time to prepare, with Guy Fawkes guarding the cache on the night of November 4-5.

Discovery and Arrest

On November 4, guards searched the cellars after an anonymous warning letter to Lord Monteagle and found Fawkes with the gunpowder; he was arrested immediately. Under torture, Fawkes named his co-conspirators, leading to their capture or deaths in a standoff at Holbeach House on November 8.

Key Facts

  • Target : King James I, his family, and Parliament members in one explosion.
  • Fawkes' Role : Military expert handling explosives; not the leader but the most famous due to his arrest.
  • Aftermath : Conspirators executed by January 1606; plot inspired anti-Catholic laws and annual Guy Fawkes Night celebrations with bonfires and fireworks.

Cultural Legacy

Today, in January 2026, Guy Fawkes endures as a symbol of rebellion, from the "Remember, remember, the fifth of November" rhyme to V for Vendetta masks in protests—shifting from villain to anti-establishment icon. Recent forum discussions on Reddit echo this, debating "what if" scenarios or his extremist label in 1605's religious tensions.

TL;DR : Guy Fawkes aimed to detonate gunpowder under Parliament on November 5, 1605, but was caught hours before.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.