On This Day In History: King John Of England Died – On Oct 19, 1216

AncientPages.com - On October 19, 1216,  John, King of England, died of dysentery at Newark Castle in Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire.

He was the youngest son of Henrik II of England and Eleonora of Akvitania, brother of Richard the Lionheart, father of Henrik III of England, Plantagenet. He was King of England from 1199. Sometimes he was also called "John Softsword."

On the trail of King John before (and after) the signing of Magna Carta. Image source

The reign of John has long been regarded as one of the most disastrous in English history. It began with losses; first, the inheritance of the empire in Normandy was lost to Philip Augustus, King of France from (1180-1223) during the first five years of the throne - and then ended with the country's turbulence of civil war.

John succeeded his childless brother, Richard the Lionheart, on England's throne.

The king himself was close to being detained. In 1213, he made England a county under the pope to resolve a conflict with the church.

John is remembered for his conflict with the nobles. It finally forced him to sign the Magna Carta ("the Great Charter of the Liberties") in 1215, which became the foundation of the English parliamentary regime. It gave John the nickname' John without land' because he was not a monarch but England's only king of lords under the pope.

Some have argued that Johan was neither better nor worse than any other contemporary regent, but the consequences of his reign were rather harmful.

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