Saint George.

He is the patron saint of England. Nothing of George’s life or deeds can be established, but legends about him as a warrior-saint, dating from the 6th century, became popular and increasingly extravagant. His rescuing a Libyan king’s daughter from a dragon and then slaying the monster in return for a promise by the king’s subjects to be baptized. George’s slaying of the dragon may be a Christian version of thelegend of Perseus, who was said to have rescued Andromeda from a sea monster near Lydda. George was known in England by at least the 8th century. Returning crusaders likely popularized his cult, but he was probably not recognized as England’s patron saint until after King Edward III made him the patron of the newly founded Order of the Garter. He was also adopted as protector of several other medieval powers, including Portugal, Genoa, and Venice. His feast is given a lesser status in the calendar of the Church of England; a holy day of obligation for English Roman Catholics until the late 18th century, it is now an optional memorial for local observance. His feast day is the 23rd April, the same day William Shakespeare's birthday.