Looking Back: 5th of November

“Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot: I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”
It’s Guy Fawkes night in Britain in honor of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A small group of revolutionaries, under Robert Catesby, attempted to blow up the House of Parliament using 36 barrels of gunpowder which they placed in the basement. An anonymous letter warned the King and parliament of the plan and when the Kings troops stormed the basement Guy Fawkes was taken prisoner, later to be tortured, drawn and quartered. Bonfires were set that night to celebrate the safety of the King, a tradition that continues today but have caused some to wonder if the celebration is in honor of the plot to destroy the government or the execution of Guy Fawkes.

In sports the NFL was created on this day in 1959. In 1994 George Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion after knocking out Michael Moore, he was then 45. The first backboard is shattered by Chuck Conners of the Boston Celtics in 1946.

Susan B. Anthony made history on this day when she and a 14 other women voted in the 1872 presidential election. The 19th Amendment, which granted women’s suffrage, wouldn’t come about until 1919, Susan however had been advocating women’s rights since the 1850’s when congress attempted to give black males the right to vote. She was arrested and once released began giving speeches on women’s rights, “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; no yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.”

Art Garfunkel was born today, so was Bryan Adams, Ryan Adams, Tilda Swinton and Roy Rogers. Led Zeppelin III was released in 1970, it went on to be certified 6 times Platinum and topped both the UK and US charts at No.1.