Guy Fawkes was an Englishman who became the infamous terrorist of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. In the early 1600's Catholics were being persecuted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I who were Protestant. After King James I took over, he declared Catholic preaching to be illegal. This caused an uproar within the Catholic community. A group of men decided that in order to practice their religion freely, drastic measures were to be taken.
The men plotted to blow up with Houses of Parliament on November 5, 1605; Where King James was to conduct a meeting. Thirteen men placed 36 barrels of gunpowder under the parliament in order to blow it up, killing the King and all. Fawkes was to take on the task of igniting the powder. Before he was able to fulfill his job, he was caught and taken to jury. Many believed that Fawkes was betrayed by one of his fellow men who had second thoughts.
Guy Fawkes was found guilty and was sentenced to execution. In January 1606, Fawkes was hanged, drawn, and quartered. This form of execution was a very bloody and flashy death. The victim would be drawn to the sight of the guillotine and disemboweled. The victim, in this case Fawkes, was hanged and and quartered. Being quartered is when the victim is cut into four pieces and usually placed in four different areas of England.
While Guy Fawkes has been labeled as a terrorist a day has been dedicated to him. On November 5, England holds an annual Guy Fawkes Day or "Bonfire Night". This festival began the same year as the Gunpowder Plot and has been celebrated since. One great tradition is to make a cloth man named "Guy" and burn him in effigy while lighting fireworks. Bonfires were first lit in 1606 in rejoice of the unsuccessful plot and has sincere progressed into a fun filled festival.
So whether you believe Guy was a terrible person or a hero, his legend still lives on and will continue for ages to come.