Portal:Oxfordshire/Selected biography/6

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John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216^[1]) reigned as King of England from 6 April 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I (known in later times as "Richard the Lionheart"). John acquired the nicknames of "Lackland" (French: Sans Terre) for his lack of an inheritance as the youngest son and for his loss of territory to France, and of "Soft-sword" for his alleged military ineptitude.^[2] He was a Plantagenet or Angevin king.

Apart from entering popular legend as the enemy of Robin Hood, he is also known for when he acquiesced to the nobility and signed Magna Carta, a document limiting his power which is popularly thought as an early first step in the evolution of modern democracy.

Born at Beaumont Palace, Oxford, John was the fifth son and last of eight children born to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was almost certainly born in 1166 instead of 1167, as is sometimes claimed.