King John of England signed the Magna Carta in Runnymede in 1215. This historic document was a response to the rising tensions between the king and a group of rebellious barons. The Magna Carta aimed to limit the powers of the monarch and establish certain legal protections for subjects, including the principle that no one, not even the king, was above the law. This seminal moment in English history laid the groundwork for modern concepts of democracy, individual rights, and the rule of law, influencing later constitutional developments both in England and around the world.