Natgeo history: guy fawkes, mata hari

National Geography issue: Nov/Dec 2017 featuring Gilles de Rais, Guy Fawkes, Mata Hari, and Ishtar Gate. The notorious Guy Fawkes was a member of the plot to blow up England’s Parliament and kill King James I in November 1605. The plan was thwarted when the king’s men discovered Fawkes in the cellars carrying a lantern (above) and guarding barrels of gunpowder. Since then, on November 5 Britain celebrates his defeat, often by burning Fawkes in effigy, a ritual that mocks him and warns potential rebels against the crown. The traditional celebration endures, but the symbol of Fawkes has been reinvented.