Today is one of those pallindromic dates again - that read forwards and backwards the same 5/11/5. Okay it's a bit of a cheat because 05/11/05 ain't pallindromic and neither is 05/11/2005.

The 5th of November is though Guy Fawkes day - the day that Guy Fawkes was caught in the act. GF was a convert to Catholicism. In 1605 he became infuriated with the oppression of Catholics in England - at the time being a Catholic was a criminal offence, clergy-hunting was a popular sport and people were being fined for not attending Protestant services. GF decided to blow up the houses of parliament with a handy 20+ barrels of gunpowder an start an insurrection.

He woz caught and Catholics were further oppressed as a result - couldn't practice law, couldn't vote, serve in the army and some authorities even wanted Catholics to wear red hats in order to warn others