Born Karol Józef Wojtyła in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, he grew up under both Nazi occupation and Communist rule, losing his mother, brother, and father at a young age. He was ordained a priest in 1946 and became Archbishop of Kraków before being elected Pope in 1978 — the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. His pontificate of 27 years was one of the longest in history. He survived an assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square in 1981, later famously forgiving his attacker. He traveled to over 100 countries, played a pivotal role in the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, and canonized more saints than any pope in history. He died in 2005 and was canonized in 2014.