Guy Fawkes was a member of the Gunpowder Plot, a Catholic conspiracy in early 17th-century England that aimed to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I to restore a Catholic monarch. He is the most famous figure associated with the plot, and his name has become synonymous with the failed conspiracy and the annual Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night) celebrations in the United Kingdom. Key points about who he was:

• Early life: Born in York in 1570 to Edward Fawkes, a proctor and advocate, and Edith Fawkes. He was baptized on April 13, 1570. His father died when Guy was a child, and his mother later remarried a Catholic recusant, which influenced his religious leanings. This background helped shape his later Catholicism and military involvement.

• Military and religious trajectory: Fawkes fought as a soldier in continental Europe, including service with Catholic forces in the Low Countries against Protestant powers. He adopted the Italian version of his name, Guido Fawkes, during his time abroad. This period established his skills with gunpowder and mining, which later factored into the plot.

• The Gunpowder Plot (1605): After returning to England, Fawkes joined the conspirators led by Robert Catesby and Thomas Wintour. The plan was to place 36 barrels of gunpowder beneath the House of Lords to blow up Parliament during the State Opening, killing King James I and members of Parliament. Fawkes was placed in charge of the explosives. The plot relied on secrecy and timing, hoping to install a Catholic monarch afterward.

• Discovery and execution: An anonymous letter warned authorities, leading to a search of Westminster Palace in the early hours of November 5, 1605, where Fawkes was found guarding the gunpowder. He confessed under torture and was sentenced to death. He died on January 31, 1606, during a botched hanging that reportedly broke his neck, thereby avoiding the full torture of hanging, drawing, and quartering. The failed plot cemented his place in history, and Guy Fawkes Night became an annual commemoration with bonfires and fireworks.

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