Remember, remember, the 31st of January

All right, all right, so already this week we've needlessly offended fans of the Steelers (who, lest it ever be in doubt, play very good football indeed and are extremely well-known in the Pittsburgh area and beyond -- unlike Ipswich Town or, though it pains me to admit it, Norwich City), and fans of Mozart (by being so slow out of the gate to commemorate his anniversary). Let's make it a hat-trick by being a day late in celebrating the 400th anniversary of the ignominious death of Guy Fawkes (April 13, 1570 - January 31, 1606), which occurred shortly after the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Like most failures, Guy Fawkes himself is ever so popular in Britain: believe it or not, more effigies of Fawkes have probably been burnt on Bonfire Night than those of either Margaret Thatcher or David Beckham. And -- tenuous Dewey connection alert! -- Giles' mother's father's middle name was Fawkes. In fact, we understand they may even be related. Giles and Guy, that is. Not just Giles and his mother's father. Anyway: comprehensive works on the Gunpowder Plot as a historic event are classed at 941.061 Reign of James 1, 1603-1625; general biographies of Guy Fawkes are classed at 941.061092, adding T1—092 Persons to 941.061; while works about the Gunpowder Plot that focus on the modus operandi of the crime go in 364.1310942132, adding T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment and then T2—42132 Westminster City to base number 364.131 Political offenses. Bonfire Night? That's 394.264 Holidays of September, October, November.

Comments

[Delia Smith]

Are you kidding? If people don't know the Canaries, they're not worth knowing.

[Giles Martin]

Ha! -- until I did a bit of Googling, I thought that "the Canaries" were some islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and I was somewhat perplexed by Delia Smith's reference to them. Now I know that they are also Norwich City Football Club -- and that until I knew that, I was not worth knowing.