John III Sobieski, << saw BYEHS kee >> (1624-1696), was king of Poland when the threat to Christendom from the Ottoman Empire, based in what is now Turkey, was at its height. Heading a Christian alliance, he defeated the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna in 1683. For this victory, Sobieski was called the “Savior of Vienna and Western European civilization.” Sobieski was born on Aug. 17, 1624, in Olesko, Poland (now in Ukraine). He trained for a military career and fought against Cossacks, Tatars, and Ottomans. He was elected king of Poland in 1674. He died on June 17, 1696.
