Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland on May 18th, 1920. He experienced the Nazi Occupation of Poland and during the war years he studied in a clandestine seminary in Crakow.He finished seminary after the end of WWII and during the 1950's was appointed Auxillary Bishop of Crakow by Pope Pius XII.
He was nominated Arch Bishop of Crakow in 1964 and Pope Paul VI made him a cardinal in 1967.
On October 16th, 1978 he was elected to the papacy.
Pope John Paul II died on Saturday April 2nd, 2005.
( Photo: Pope Paul II and Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1999. Public Papers of the Presidents
of the United States 1999. )