On this day in history, October 16, 1978, Pope John Paul II of Poland is elected head of Catholic Church

Join Fox News to access this content for free, along with special access to select articles and premium content. On this day in history in 1978, Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was elected pope, taking the name Pope John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years. His early life was marked by tragedy, losing his loved ones at a young age. He became a priest and rose through the ranks to become a cardinal before being elected pope. John Paul II served the third-longest papacy in history before passing away in 2005. He was beatified in 2011 and canonized as a saint in 2014. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.