Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła in 1920 in Poland, was chosen as Pope in 1978. In 1981, he was shot by Mehmet Ali Agca but survived. He suffered from Parkinson's disease in his later years. John Paul II died in 2005 at the age of 84 after spending two months in the hospital, with many people mourning his passing. He was a respected figure who could serve as a role model.