Guy Fawkes, one of the coolest guys in history, was born on the same day I was?

Guy is famous for being involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was probably placed in charge of executing the plot because of his military and explosives experience. The plot itself was to kill King James I by blowing up the House Of Lords during the opening of Parliament...which didn't end well for him. In the end, after being caught and tortured, he was to be hanged, then drawn and quartered. He wasn't too keen on that idea so he jumped from the scaffold and broke his neck, essentially dying by his own hand.

So, in the land of rain and tea, there is a yearly celebration on November 5th in honor, or as a warning depending on who you ask, with Guy Fawkes masks and effigies.

If you've seen V For Vendetta, i'm sure you've seen the masks before, they look a bit like this:

There's Your History Lesson For Today.