King James VI of Scotland was the first king to rule both Scotland and England. He was cousin to Queen Elizabeth I of England, and shortly before she died in 1603, she appointed James as her successor. When James VI of Scotland came to the united throne of England and Scotland, he became King James I of Great Britain (the formal union between the two countries did not happen until the Act of Union in 1707).
In an attempt to unify church services between Episcopalian England and Presbyterian Scotland, James "authorized" a group of Scholars to retranslate the Bible from the original languages into the common speech of the day. The result of this retranslation was published in 1611, and has become known as the "King James" Bible.
This version of the Bible has been in print since that time. Many people still use this as their only version, even though the language has become outdated, and the meanings of many words have changed. I personally find it a beautiful translation, and use it as one of the versions I read.