Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 19, 2021

John (1166–1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death. The youngest of the four surviving sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, he became Henry's favourite after a revolt by his brothers Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey. Despite rebelling against King Richard, who was away on the Third Crusade, he became king after Richard's death. War with France broke out in 1202; John achieved early victories, but shortages of resources led to the loss of the Duchy of Normandy and most other French lands. His judicial reforms had a lasting effect on English law and provided him with revenue from fines and court fees. An argument with Pope Innocent III led to John's excommunication from 1209 to 1213. John faced a rebellion by many of his barons, and although they agreed to the Magna Carta peace accord in 1215, neither side complied with it, and civil war broke out shortly afterwards. John died of dysentery while on campaign in late 1216.