| John III Sobieski | |
|---|---|
| Defender of the Faith | |
 Portrait by Daniel Schultz, c. 1680 | |
| King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania | |
| Reign | 19 May 1674 – 17 June 1696 |
| Coronation | 2 February 1676 |
| Predecessor | Michael I |
| Successor | Augustus II |
| Born | 17 August 1629 Olesko Castle, Olesko, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Died | 17 June 1696 (aged 66) Wilanów Palace, Warsaw, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue among others... | |
| House | Sobieski |
| Father | Jakub Sobieski |
| Mother | Zofia Teofillia Daniłowicz |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
John III Sobieski (Polish: Jan III Sobieski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈtʂɛt͡ɕi sɔˈbʲɛskʲi]); Lithuanian: Jonas III Sobieskis (Lithuanian pronunciation: ['joːnäs so'bʲɛskis]); Latin: Ioannes III Sobiscius (Latin pronunciation: [joˈannɛs soˈbiʃiʊs]) 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696.
Born into Polish nobility, Sobieski was educated at the Jagiellonian University and toured Europe in his youth. As a soldier and later commander, he fought in the Khmelnytsky Uprising, the Russo-Polish War and during the Swedish invasion known as the Deluge. Sobieski demonstrated his military prowess during the war against the Ottoman Empire and established himself as a leading figure in Poland and Lithuania. In 1674, he was elected monarch of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth following the sudden and unexpected death of King Michael.
Sobieski's 22-year reign marked a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of previous conflicts.[1] Popular among his subjects, he was an able military leader, most famously for his victory over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.[2] The defeated Ottomans named Sobieski the "Lion of Lechistan", and the Pope hailed him as the saviour of Western Christendom.[3] Suffering from poor health and obesity in later life, Sobieski died in 1696 and was buried at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków. He was succeeded by Augustus II of Poland and Saxony.
- ^ Aleksander Gieysztor (1979). History of Poland. PWN, Polish Scientific Publishers. p. 223. ISBN 83-01-00392-8.
- ^ J.A. Hammerton (2007). Peoples of All Nations: Their Life Today And Story of Their Past. Concept Publishing Company. p. 4142. ISBN 978-81-7268-144-9.
- ^ Mario Reading (2009). The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 382. ISBN 978-1-906787-39-4.