In 1605, Guy Fawkes joined a group of people in the midst of an elaborate plan to kill King James I. Fawkes was put in charge of the gunpowder supply planned to blow up the parliament building. Unfortunately for Guy, an anonymous letter tipped off the authorities and on November 5 they searched Westminster and found him guarding a pile of explosives.

Fawkes was questioned and tortured until he eventually gave in. He was to be hanged but jumped off the scaffolding just before and broke his neck. He was posthumously drawn and quartered. Yikes.

Now, you may have already known all of that. Especially if you happened to catch the film V for Vendetta, which draws many similarities (not to mention the Guy Fawkes mask). But did you know that Guy Fawkes as born in York? That’s right, I have even stood outside the former location of his parents’ house (now in the midst of a busy shopping district). I’ve even had a drink at the Guy Fawkes Inn, a pub and hotel named after the man himself.

It is also possible that you may have heard the phrase “Remember, remember the 5th of November.” Well, in England they do remember. Not only that, but they celebrate! It seems a slightly odd thing to celebrate, but I guess they are celebrating the fact that the King’s life was spared, which is fair enough. But how do they celebrate? With fireworks and something called Bonfire Night! Kind of a kick in the drawn and quartered ass of Guy Fawkes, don’t you think? England is basically saying, “You couldn’t manage to blow anything up but we can, and we’re going to! Every year, all across the country! Now, I’m not exactly complaining because I loves me some fireworks, and technically Fawkes was a terrorist, but you have to admit the celebration (even some places calling it Guy Fawkes Day) holds some delicious irony.