Guy Fawkes
His failed attempt to blow up the English Parliament in 1605 made his name synonymous with treason and rebellion for centuries.
Born 1570 (age 456)·English participant in the Gunpowder Plot·Birthday: April 13
Biography
Guy Fawkes, a Yorkshireman born into a Protestant family, found his cause in militant Catholicism after his mother's remarriage. He fought as a mercenary for Catholic Spain in the Netherlands, gaining expertise with explosives—a skill that would define his legacy. Recruited by Robert Catesby for the Gunpowder Plot, Fawkes was the man on the ground, the one tasked with guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar beneath the House of Lords. The plot, aimed at assassinating King James I and restoring a Catholic monarchy, was foiled on November 5, 1605, after an anonymous letter warned a lord to stay away. Fawkes was discovered, arrested, and after days of torture on the rack, confessed. His stoic defiance at his execution, where he managed to leap from the gallows and break his own neck to avoid the agony of being drawn and quartered, added to his mythic status. Today, his effigy is burned across Britain every Bonfire Night, and his stylized mask is a global symbol of anti-establishment protest.
#1 When Guy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1570
Guy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1570Born
1575Started school
1583Became a teenager
1586Could drive
1588Could vote
1591Turned 21
1600Turned 30
1610Turned 40
1620Turned 50
1630Turned 60
1640Turned 70
1650Turned 80
2026Age 456 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He was the explosives expert and primary operative for the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
- His capture under the House of Lords on November 5th directly led to the plot's unraveling.
- His name and likeness, particularly the 'Guy Fawkes mask,' became an enduring international symbol of anarchic and anti-government resistance.
Did You Know?
He was not the mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot; that was Robert Catesby. Fawkes was the hired explosives specialist.
While being tortured, his signature evolved from a strong, clear 'Guido Fawkes' to a shaky, pained scrawl.
The word 'guy,' meaning a man or person, is derived from the practice of burning 'guys' (effigies of Fawkes) on Bonfire Night.
He fought for Spain under the name 'Guido Fawkes' and was awarded a captaincy for his service at the siege of Calais in 1596.
“You must place the barrels thus, under the House of Lords, for a desperate remedy.”
