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Revellers in Lewes

Guy Fawkes Night is an annual commemoration of the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. To celebrate the arrest, which put an end to the plot on King James I's life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving. Within a few decades Gunpowder Treason Day, as it was known, became the predominant English state commemoration. As it carried strong Protestant religious overtones, it also became a focus for anti-Catholic sentiment; increasingly raucous celebrations featured the burning of effigies of popular hate-figures, such as the pope. Towards the end of the 18th century, children were seen begging for money with effigies of Guy Fawkes. In the 1850s much of the day's anti-Catholic rhetoric was toned down, and by the 20th century Guy Fawkes Day had become an enjoyable social commemoration. Today it is usually celebrated with bonfires and extravagant firework displays. (Full article...)

Part of the Gunpowder Plot series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.

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Did you know...

Pope John Paul II arriving in Sarajevo

... that with Bosnia and Herzegovina–Holy See relations improving, Pope John Paul II came for a visit (pictured)—and then police discovered 23 land mines planted in the area where he was to have been driven?
... that Konomi Suzuki was inspired by the character Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier to become a singer for anime?
... that if the San Francisco Bay Area were a country, it would be ranked sixteenth in the world in terms of GDP?
... that footballer Laura O'Sullivan made her international debut for Wales as a goalkeeper less than 18 months after converting to the position?
... that Countess Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt wrote 587 songs and hymns, including "Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende", used in her regular meditations towards a good death?
... that Karl Hoblitzelle was the first movie theater owner in the United States to install air conditioning?
... that the ribbon worm Cerebratulus marginatus can swim well by undulating its body?
... that Patricia Moberly was once arrested for attacking Prime Minister Ted Heath's car with a placard?

In the news

Pongo tapanuliensis

In baseball, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars to win the Japan Series.
The Tapanuli orangutan (pictured) is identified as a new species of great ape.
In New York City, a ramming attack kills eight people and injures at least eleven others.
In baseball, the Houston Astros defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series.
In the Icelandic parliamentary election, the Independence Party wins the most seats.
Catalonia issues a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, whose government imposes direct rule under Article 155 of its constitution.

On this day...

November 5

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1138 – Lý Anh Tông was enthroned as emperor of Đại Việt at the age of two, starting a 37-year reign.
1828 – Greek War of Independence: The French Morea expedition to recapture Morea (now the Peloponnese) ended when the last Ottoman forces departed the peninsula.
1943 – World War II: An unknown aircraft dropped four bombs on Vatican City, which maintained neutrality during the war.
1967 – A train derailed near Hither Green maintenance depot in London, killing 49 people and injuring 78 others.
2007 – Led by Google, 34 companies established the Open Handset Alliance to develop open standards for mobile devices, leading to the development of the Android operating system (logo pictured).

Eugene V. Debs (b. 1855) · James Clerk Maxwell (d. 1879) · Vivien Leigh (b. 1913)

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Today's featured picture

Gemini is one of the 88 modern constellations and one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for "twins," and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology. It contains 85 stars visible to the naked eye, with the brightest being Pollux and Castor.

Gemini is shown here as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London in about 1825.

Illustration: Sidney Hall; restoration: Adam Cuerden

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