30. A Celebrated Warrior
John of Bohemia was one of the most celebrated warriors of his era, having campaigned and fought across Europe from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. He gained the nickname John the Blind in 1336, when he lost his eyesight from ophthalmia while crusading against the pagan Lithuanians. However, blindness did not stop him from jumping at the chance to do battle when the opportunity came.
King Philip VI of France asked John the Blind for help against the English, and despite his blindness, John answered the call. He led his men to Paris, where they joined the French army in 1346, and marched off in pursuit of an English army. The enemies met at the Battle of Crecy, on August 26th, 1346, in which John was nominally in command of the French vanguard and a big chunk of the French army.