Today in History

April 29, 1429

Joan of Arc Enters Orleans

For over 116 years, France and England were at war. The English House of Plantagenet and the French House of Valois both claimed the French throne based on lineage. In April of 1429, the French city of Orleans was under siege by the English. The battle was a stalemate. English forces were not strong enough to break through the city's wall, but supplies within Orleans were dangerously low.

A prophecy held that an armed woman of Lorraine would rescue France. On April 29, 1429, Joan of Arc arrived at Orleans. She demanded the English leave or suffer defeat. The English, bemused at the audacity of a woman in arms, refused. Joan of Arc entered the city walls and led the French forces to a victory over the English, freeing Orleans and marking a turning point in the Hundred Years War.

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