History Today: Why French heroine Joan of Arc was burned at the stake

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30-05-2025

On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc, the young peasant girl who helped lead France to victory, was burned at the stake after being convicted of heresy. Her bravery and leadership were key in shifting the course of the Hundred Years' War in France's favour and preventing the English from taking full control. Also on this day in 1826, the first Hindi newspaper, 'Udant Martand', was launched in India. May 30 is now celebrated annually as Hindi Journalism Day read more
On May 30, 1431, Joan was burned at the stake for heresy in Rouen. Image: Hermitage Museum
On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl who helped lead France to victory, was burned at the stake after being found guilty of heresy.
Years later, in 1920, the Roman Catholic Church declared Joan of Arc a saint, honouring her as one of France's most respected figures.
Also on this day in 1826, the first Hindi newspaper, 'Udant Martand', was published. It became a voice for people who spoke Hindi.
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Joan of Arc was burned at the stake
Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who rose to become a national symbol of France, believed she was carrying out God's will when she led French forces to a key victory at Orleans during the Hundred Years' War. Her leadership helped stop the English from taking full control of France.
On May 30, 1431, Joan was burned at the stake for heresy in Rouen, which was under English rule at the time.
"Joan of Arc" by John Everett Millais (1865). pic.twitter.com/kjfMDpbIkp — Academia Aesthetics (@AcademiaAesthe1) November 19, 2022
The conflict between England and France took a major turn in 1415 when King Henry V of England invaded France and defeated the forces of King Charles VI in several major battles. By the time Henry died in August 1422, the English, along with their French-Burgundian allies, controlled Aquitaine and most of northern France, including Paris.
Reims, where French kings were traditionally crowned, remained under Anglo-Burgundian control. Meanwhile, the French heir to the throne, known as the Dauphin, had not yet been crowned.
Joan's home village of Domremy lay close to the border between lands held by the Dauphin and those under Anglo-Burgundian rule.
In February 1429, dressed in men's clothing and travelling with six soldiers, Joan made her way to Chinon to meet the Dauphin. He was hiding among his courtiers, but Joan recognised him at once and told him she had been sent by God.
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The Dauphin gave her command of a small army, and on April 27, 1429, she began the march to Orleans, which had been under English siege since October the previous year.
Joan led from the front in several attacks. On May 7, she was wounded by an arrow but returned to the battle after treating the injury herself. The French broke the siege, and on May 8, the English withdrew from Orleans.
In May 1430, the Burgundians surrounded Compiegne. Joan entered the town secretly to help defend it. On May 23, while leading an attack, she was captured by the Burgundians. They later handed her over to the English.
Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who rose to become a national symbol of France. Image: Hermitage Museum
In March 1431, she was put on trial in Rouen by church officials on charges of heresy.
She was found guilty of relapsing into heresy and on May 29 was passed to the secular court. The next day, at just nineteen years old, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen's Place du Vieux-Marche.
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Before the fire was lit, she asked a priest to hold up a crucifix so she could see it and to say prayers loudly enough for her to hear them through the flames.
Joan's courage and leadership played a major part in turning the Hundred Years' War in France's favour.
In 1920, the Roman Catholic Church declared her a saint. Her feast day is May 30.
Later that same year, on June 24, the French parliament announced a national festival in her honour, to be observed every year on the second Sunday of May.
First Hindi newspaper was launched
On May 30, 1826, the first Hindi newspaper, 'Udant Martand', was launched.
This was an important step in Indian journalism and gave Hindi speakers a platform to access news in their own language.
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The paper was published weekly and became a voice for those who spoke Hindi, allowing them to read news and opinions in their mother tongue. It was founded by Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla and printed by Manna Thakur.
It would take another 28 years before the first Hindi daily, 'Samachar Sudha Varshan', began publication in Calcutta in 1854.
The launch of 'Udant Martand' reflected a growing sense of cultural identity and pride in the Hindi language. The newspaper featured local and international news, helping to inform and engage its readers.
To mark the beginning of Hindi journalism in India, May 30 is now observed every year as Hindi Journalism Day.
This Day, That Year
1987: Goa was officially granted statehood. The day is now marked every year as 'Goa Statehood Day'.
2012: Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone's civil war.
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2015: Beau Biden, son of Joe Biden, died of brain cancer at the age of 46.
2019: Narendra Modi began his second term as Prime Minister of India after a decisive win in the general elections.
2020: Protests over the death of George Floyd and other police killings of Black people spread across the United States.
2024: Donald Trump became the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes. A New York jury found him guilty of 34 charges related to a hush money scheme during the 2016 election.