Saint Joan of Arc - biography.

Saint Joan of Arc - biography. National heroine and patron saint of France Birth 1412 Death May 30, 1431 Place of Domrémy (now Domrémy-la-Pucelle), France Birth Known for Leading French troops to a decisive victory against the English at Orléans, which shifted the momentum toward the French in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) Milestones February 1429 Convinced Charles, heir to the French throne, that divine voices had commanded her to save France; was placed in command of French troops to fight the English in the Hundred Years' War May 1429 Led French troops to victory, breaking an English siege of Orléans July 1429 Sat at the side of Charles VII at his coronation ceremony in Reims 1430 Was captured during an unauthorized campaign at Compiégne by Bourguignon soldiers, French allies of England, who turned her over to the English six months later 1430-1431 Was interrogated by an ecclesiastical court at Rouen, and charged on various counts including witchcraft, heresy, and wearing male clothing 1431 Confessed wrongdoing and had her sentence reduced to life imprisonment, but after resuming masculine dress was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen as a relapsed heretic 1456 Was found innocent in a posthumous trial by an ecclesiastical court, which voided the results of her heresy trial Did You Joan was just 17 years old when she led French troops to battle in Orléans. Know From age 13, Joan believed that she heard celestial voices; she thought them to be those of Saint Michael, Saint Margaret of Antioch, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Pope Benedict XV canonized Joan of Arc in 1920. The story of Joan of Arc is widely portrayed in works of visual art and literature, including the play Saint Joan, for which British playwright George Bernard Shaw was awarded the 1925 Nobel Prize. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.