(born Dec. 24, 1167, Oxford, Eng. — died Oct. 18/19, 1216, Newark, Nottinghamshire) King of England (1199 – 1216). The youngest son of
Henry II, he joined his brother Richard (later
Richard I) in a rebellion against Henry (1189). John became lord of Ireland, and, when Richard was imprisoned in Germany on his way back from the Third
Crusade, he tried to seize control of England (1193). On Richard's return, John was banished (1194), but the two were later reconciled. Crowned king in 1199, John lost Normandy (1204) and most of his other French lands in a war with
Philip II (Philip Augustus). After
Innocent III excommunicated him for refusing to recognize
Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, John was obliged to declare England a fief of the Holy See (1213). He launched a military campaign against France in 1214 but made no lasting gains. His heavy taxes and aggressive assertion of feudal privileges led to the outbreak of civil war (1215). The barons forced him to sign the
Magna Carta, but the civil war continued until his death.
For more information on John, visit Britannica.com.