We may be warned to remember, remember, the fifth of November - but not many of us know the true story behind Guy Fawkes, the most well-known conspirator behind the Gunpowder Plot.

The story goes that Guy Fawkes led his fellow conspirators to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into a cellar of the House of Lords in a bid to destroy the building and kill the King. He was then hung, drawn and quartered. But is this really what happened?

As Bonfire Night preparations get underway, we take a look at some of the common misconceptions and lesser known facts about the nation's favourite villain.

1. Guy Fawkes did not die from being hung, drawn and quartered

The traditional death for traitors in 17th-century England was to be hanged from the gallows, then drawn and quartered in public. But, despite his role in the Gunpowder Plot - which the perpetrators hoped would kill King James and as many members of parliament as possible - it was not to be Fawkes's fate.

As he awaited his grisly punishment on the gallows, Fawkes leapt to his death - to avoid the horrors of having his testicles cut off, his stomach opened and his guts spilled out before his eyes. He died from a broken neck.