Paris is worth a Mass

The sardonic looking fellow above is one Henri IV of France, our 115th hero of the day, born this day 1553 in Pau, France. He was baptised a Roman Catholic, but was raised a Protestant, and eventually reached Calvinism all before he became a teenager. Upon the death of his mother he became King of Navarre in 1572. These years were rough times in France. Known as the Wars of Religion, a lot of people got their asses killed just for being the wrong faith. Even Henri himself just managed to escape death during the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Henri became heir to the throne of France, but since he was a Huguenot, a lot of people did not fancy him as king. In fact, he being declared heir sparked what is known as the war of the three Henries. This war was to devastate France for nearly a decade until Henri, even though he was winning the war he was unable to take Paris, decided to renounce Calvinism and convert to Catholicism. Declaring that Paris was "well worth a mass." Henri proved an excellent ruler, ruling with " a weapon in hand, and arse in the saddle," he made it his goal to put a chicken in every man's pot. His rule saw the construction of the Pont Neuf over the river Seine. Although he was an excellent ruler that made numerous improvement in all areas of French society, and economy, Henri still was the object of several assassination attempts. In 1610, one of these eventually succeeded. Henri was stabbed to death my a fanatical monk Francois Ravaillac. But, for making France stable in a time of serious religious strife, and for that one line about Paris being worth a Mass, Henri IV of France (December 13th, 1553- May 14th, 1610, at the age of 56), you are my hero of the day.