The Maid of Orléans

Joan of Arc, known as The Maid of Orléans, was a French peasant girl who believed she was guided by divine visions. In the early 1400s, during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, she convinced the Dauphin (heir to the throne) to let her lead troops. Her leadership boosted French morale, helping them win key battles and lift the siege of Orléans in 1429. She became a symbol of faith and national pride. Later, she was captured, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake in 1431. She was canonized as a saint in 1920.