Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio and used that name for most of his life before becoming the head of the Catholic Church.

He chose the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, symbolizing his dedication to poverty, humility, and peace.

Pope Francis was born into a family in Argentina, though they were mostly of Italian origin. After suffering a severe illness in the 1950s, he decided to join the Church and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969.

Before being elected pope, he served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Pope Francis was a master linguist; he spoke Latin, Spanish, English, German, Italian, French, and Portuguese. Though he spoke Spanish and Italian better than the others.

He is the first Jesuit to become pope, the first Latin American (Argentinian), and the first person born or raised outside Europe to become pope since the 8th-century Syrian pope, Gregory III.

While most popes have chosen to live in a palace, Pope Francis chose to live in a guesthouse called the Casa Santa Marta.

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he often took public transportation instead of using a private car or limousine.

He held a degree in chemistry and worked in the field before entering the priesthood.

As a young student, he even worked as a nightclub bouncer.

He was once caught sneaking out of the Vatican in disguise at night to personally help the homeless.

Pope Francis became well known for personally calling or writing to ordinary people, surprising many with his kindness and humility.

One of his most unusual blessings was for a group of Harley-Davidson motorcycles at the Vatican in 2013.