June 15th Magna Carta

Today is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. Some things you might not know about this historic document:

1. There is an old joke where a schoolboy is asked by the teacher, "Where was the Magna Carta signed?" to which the boy replies, "At the bottom." Actually it wasn't signed at all. There were no signatures on the charter of 1215, although the king's seal was applied to it.
2. The answer the teacher was probably looking for is Runnymede, which today is a meadow in Surrey, partly owned by the National Trust. The name Runnymede is thought to come from the Anglo-Saxon 'runieg' (regular meeting) and 'mede' (mead or meadow). In Alfred the Great's time, it was the venue for meetings of the Council of Anglo Saxon Kings, a forerunner of parliament. Meetings took place in the open air.
3. The name "Magna Carta" is Latin and means "the Great Charter". It is also called also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties").
4. The original was written on sheets of vellum made from sheep skin, approximately 15 by 20 inches (380 by 510 mm) across, using a quill pen. It was written in abbreviated Latin in clear handwriting. The king's seal was made from beeswax and resin. In the original document, the clauses were not numbered. The 63 numbered "clauses" of Magna Carta, were introduced by Sir William Blackstone in 1759.
5. What was it originally for? It was an attempt by the then Archbishop of Canterbury to heal the rift between King John and the barons. It wasn't honoured at the time by either side, and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War, a civil war in England in which a group of rebellious barons, led by Robert Fitzwalter and supported by the future Louis VIII of France, made war on King John.
6. It was issued again by the regency government of John's son, Henry III in 1216, to raise support for their political cause (which failed), and again by Henry himself in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes. His son, Edward I, did the same in 1297, this time confirming it as part of England's statute law. The charter became part of English political life and was typically renewed by each monarch in turn.
7. Despite its reputation as the basis for English law, only three clauses of Magna Carta still remain on statute in England and Wales. These are the freedom of the English Church, the "ancient liberties" of the City of London and a right to due legal process. The rest of it has been repealed and replaced by other laws.
8. Magna Carta's influence did not stop with England. It influenced the early American colonists and the formation of the American Constitution in 1789.
9. Four exemplifications of the original 1215 charter still exist. They are held by the British Library and the cathedrals of Lincoln and Salisbury. In 1976, the UK lent one of the four surviving originals to the USA for their bicentennial celebrations and also donated an ornate display case for it. The original was returned after one year, but a replica and the case are still on display in the United States Capitol Crypt in Washington DC.
10. Commemorative events for the 800th anniversary include: The British Library bringing together the four existing copies for a special exhibition in February; British artist Cornelia Parker was commissioned to create a new artwork, Magna Carta, a copy of the 2014 version of the Magna Carta Wikipedia page embroidered into a tapestry. It was unveiled at the British Library on 15 May 2015 and will remain on display until 24 July; A new visitor centre at Lincoln Castle; and a commemorative two-pound coin.