Editor’s spotlight — updated daily
Pope John Paul II
Poland
Born Karol Józef Wojtyła in 1920, John Paul II was elected pope in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pope in 456 years. He survived an assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981 and traveled an estimated 750,000 miles to 129 countries, more than any pope before him. He died in Vatican City in 2005 after 26 years as pope, the second-longest-serving in modern history.
