The Gunpowder Plot was a failed conspiracy in 1605 aimed at assassinating King James I of England and blowing up the House of Lords. A group of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, sought to end Protestant rule and replace it with a Catholic government. The plot was discovered on November 5, 1605, when authorities found Fawkes guarding explosives hidden in the cellar of the House of Lords. The conspirators were arrested, and the event is now commemorated in the UK as Guy Fawkes Night, marked by fireworks and bonfires.