John Lennon Question

Perhaps this:

1968 Nov 5, U.S. presidential election In one of the closest elections in US history, Republican challenger Richard M. Nixon defeats Vice President Hubert Humphrey and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace.

Or this:
1970, Nov 5, Vietnam War: United States Military Assistance Command in Vietnam reports the lowest weekly American soldier death toll in five years (24 soldiers died that week, which was the fifth consecutive week the death toll was below 50 ; 431 were reported wounded that week, however).

Or perhaps since Lennon is British:
1605, November 5, a plot by Guy Fawkes involved a desperate but failed attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics to kill King James I of England, his family, and most of the Protestant aristocracy in one fell swoop by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening.

The conspirators had become disillusioned by James's failure to give equal rights to Catholics. The plot was intended to spark a rebellion during which, they hoped, James's daughter Elizabeth would be installed as a Catholic head of state.

On the night of November 5th, throughout Britain, bonfires are set alight, effigies are burned, and fireworks are set off. The people do this to commemorate their country's most notorious traitor: Guy Fawkes.

A penny for the old Guy. As the saying goes. A traitor is a bit imprecise.

Guy Fawkes is right!

Thanks all for your responses. I always feel a little silly when I enjoy a piece of music while knowingly being ignorant of an important part of it.

I did a quick Google search and found that there are quite a few traditional English rhymes that sound similar to the following:

Please to remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
We know no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

The phrasing of the rhymes are similar enough to that which Lennon uses that I would agree with the Guy Fawkes explanataion.

Thanks again!