Knights were hired by lords and kings to help protect their land and property. In exchange, lords and kings would give them something in return. It might have been land, a castle, or whatever the knight might request. Most knights were around 18 years old when they were first "knighted" by a lord or king. They had to prove their skills, and "chivalry;" which meant that they had to pass a series of tests that showed that they knew how to ride a horse and fight. They also had to fast (not eat for a certain amount of time), and swear loyalty to the lord or king.
A lot of the knights who fought in wars and battles did not live past 21 years old. Many knights also fought in the Crusades. The Crusades were a long war that was started by Pope Urban II. He was in charge of the Catholic Church. The pope felt that God wanted the Christians to take back the Holy Land in Jerusalem. At the time, it was controlled by the Muslims. Many knights volunteered to fight for Christianity. The knights won some battles, and lost some battles. In the end, they did not succeed. Many lives were lost. When guns and cannons were invented, knights were no longer needed, and so they sort of "went out of business."
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