Pope John Paul II

Priesthood

Period: Nov 1, 1946 to Apr 2, 2005

Time as Bishop

Period: Sep 28, 1958 to Oct 16, 1978

Installed as archbishop

Mar 8, 1964

Installed as archbishop of Krakow.

Becomes Cardinal

Jun 28, 1967

Consecrated as a cardinal by Pope Paul VI

Elected Pope

Oct 14, 1978

Chosen by the second conclave of 1978 as Pope!

Papasy

Period: Oct 14, 1978 to Apr 2, 2005

Trip to Domican Republic

Jan 25, 1979

Takes first trip abroad, to Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Bahamas.

Trip to Poland

Jun 2, 1979

For his first papal trip Pope John Paul II viseted Poland for the first time as pope, setting off sparks that help establish Solidarity, the first independent labor movement in the Soviet bloc.

Atempted assassination.

May 13, 1981

While circling St. Peter's Square, the pope is shot in the abdomen by a young Turk named Mehmet Ali Agca.

Meets Palistine Liberation Organization leader

Sep 15, 1982

Meets privately with Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat at Vatican, provoking criticism from Israel and Jewish groups.

Meets with Soviet and US government

Sep 29, 1983

Calls for the heads of government of the United States and the Soviet Union to negotiate an end to the arms race.

Visits Roman synagogue

Apr 13, 1986

Makes historic visit to Rome's main synagogue, the oldest Jewish group in the Diaspora.

Meets Ronald Reagan

Jun 6, 1987

Official visit of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Meets with George H.W. Bush

May 27, 1989

Official visit of U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Meets Gorbachev at Vatican

Dec 1, 1989

Receives Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at the Vatican in the first ever meeting between a pope and a Kremlin chief.

Issues first encyclical on social issues

May 1, 1991

Issues first encyclical on social issues since the fall of communism in Europe, giving qualified approval to capitalism but warning rich against taking advantage of poor.

Undergoes surgery

Jul 15, 1992

Undergoes surgery for benign tumor on colon. Leaves hospital July 28.

Visits Soviet Union

Sep 4, 1993

Visits former Soviet Union for first time, traveling to Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.

Agreement signed

Dec 30, 1993

Agreement signed establishing formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Vatican.

Publishes Book

Oct 20, 1994

Publishes his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

Eric Rourke is born

Jun 22, 1996

Undergoes appendectomy.

Oct 8, 1996

Undergoes appendectomy. Returns to Vatican Oct. 15.

Meets with Castro

Nov 19, 1996

Meets with Cuban President Fidel Castro to discus issues.

Starts the beatification of Mother Teresa

Mar 1, 1999

Gives permission to start the cause of beatification for Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Makes first pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Mar 20, 2000

Makes first pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In note left at Jerusalem's Western Wall, expresses sorrow for suffering of Jews at the hands of Christians. Also celebrates first papal Mass ever held in Egypt, urging reconciliation between the Vatican and the Egyptian Coptic Church, which split with Rome in the fifth century A.D.

Beatifies Pope Pius IX

Sep 3, 2000

Beatifies much-attacked Pope Pius IX and much-loved Pope John XXIII in one of the most disputed acts of his papacy.

Meets with George W. Bush

May 28, 2002

Receives U.S. President George W. Bush.

Sends out peace missions

Period: Feb 1, 2003 to Mar 31, 2003

Weeks before U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq, makes a dramatic appeal for world prayer to avert war and sends top cardinals on peace missions to Washington, D.C., and Baghdad.

Campaign against gay marrige

Jul 31, 2003

Vatican launches global campaign against gay marriages.

Rushed to hospital

Feb 1, 2005

Rushed to a hospital in Rome with flu and difficulties breathing.

Dies

Apr 2, 2005

Pope John Paul II dies at 84.