The historical figure known as the “Maid of Orleans” is Joan of Arc. Born around 1412 in France, she became a peasant girl who claimed to receive divine visions instructing her to support Charles VII in reclaiming the French throne during the Hundred Years' War. Her leadership of the French army revitalized the struggle against English occupation, particularly during the Siege of Orléans in 1429, which marked a turning point in the war. Captured in 1430, she was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in 1431. Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint in 1920 and remains a symbol of courage and faith.