The figure who later became Mr. Punch made his first recorded appearance in England on 9 May 1662, which is traditionally reckoned as Punch's UK birthday. Punch and Judy began to emerge during the Restoration Period (beginning in 1660), a period during which art and theatre thrived. King Charles II took the throne in 1660 and replaced Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, and theatre culture began to change. Cromwell strictly adhered to the Puritan belief that theatre was immoral and should be banned. King Charles II's ascension to the throne ended the Interregnum (means "between kings", a time with no monarchs on the throne) and ushered in a more tolerant period of art and culture. The diarist Samuel Pepys observed a marionette show featuring an early version of the Punch character in Covent Garden in London. It was performed by Italian puppet showman Pietro Gimonde, a.k.a. "Signor Bologna." Pepys described the event in his diary as "an Italian puppet play, that is within the rails there, which is very pretty."