20 January 2015 marks the 750th anniversary of the first parliament of elected representatives at Westminster, the de Montfort Parliament
50 years earlier Magna Carta - or the Great Charter - was sealed by King John in 1215 and established for the first time that everyone, including him, was subject to law
The BBC is broadcasting a day of live events, discussion and debate broadcast from inside Westminster and the BBC Radio Theatre
Highlights include an interview with the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners Lee; live streaming of BBC News meetings; and panel debates from inside the Radio Theatre
Democracy Day is produced in collaboration with the House of Commons and the House of Lords
Anna Browning, Holly Wallis, Laurence Peter, Alison Daye and Paul Harrison
Simon de Montfort, the rebel earl who had deposed Henry III, invited elected representatives from every English county to an extraordinary parliament in Westminster - and sowed the seeds for the House of Commons.
Hello. It's been 750 years in the making, but here we are, the BBC's Democracy Day. On this day in 1265 the foundation was laid for democracy worldwide.