13. Her Execution Was a Public Spectacle
On May 30, 1431, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen before a massive crowd. Her enemies hoped this brutal public execution would shatter her legacy, but the sight of her courage—praying aloud as flames rose—had the opposite effect. Many witnesses wept, and even her executioners reportedly felt remorse, cementing her status as a martyr in the eyes of the world.
