Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who believed that she had visions from God instructing her to help Charles VII of France to reclaim his throne from the English during the Hundred Years' War. She convinced Charles to let her lead a French army to the besieged city of Orléans, where she achieved a remarkable victory in 1429. She then escorted Charles to Reims, where he was crowned as the King of France. Joan continued to fight in several battles, but was captured by the Burgundians, allies of the English, in 1430. She was handed over to the English and put on trial for heresy and witchcraft by Bishop Pierre Cauchon. She was accused of blasphemy, cross-dressing, and acting on demonic visions. She was found guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, at the age of about 19. In 1456, a posthumous retrial declared her innocent and a martyr. She was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1920. Joan of Arc is regarded as a national heroine of France and a symbol of courage, faith, and patriotism.