Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. He was elected pope in the Roman Catholic Church on October 16, 1978. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. On 13 May 1981, (the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917) in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Agca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck twice and suffered severe blood loss. He recovered from his wounds and died on April 2, 2005.