Claim: Catherine of Alexandria was martyred.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria , also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is , according to tradition , a Christian saint and virgin , who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius . According to her hagiography , she was both a princess and a noted scholar , who became a Christian around the age of fourteen , and converted hundreds of people to Christianity . She was martyred around the age of 18 . Over 1,100 years following her martyrdom , Saint Joan of Arc identified Catherine as one of the Saints who appeared to her and counselled her .   The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates her as a Great Martyr and celebrates her feast day on 24 or 25 November -LRB- depending on the regional tradition -RRB- . In Catholicism she is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers . In 1969 the Roman Catholic Church removed her feast day from the General Roman Calendar ; however , she continued to be commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 25 November . In 2002 , her feast was restored to the General Roman Calendar as an optional memorial .