Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla

Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. He died in Italy in 2005. 

He was a vocal advocate for human rights and used his influence to effect political change. 

No other Pope met as many people as Pope John Paul II. More than 17.6 million pilgrims attended his Wednesday General Audiences (which numbered over 1,160). This does not include any of the other special audiences and religious ceremonies (more than 8 million pilgrims in the Great Jubilee Year of 2000 alone). He met millions of the faithful in the course of his pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world. He also received numerous government officials in audience, including 38 official visits and 738 audiences and meetings with Heads of State, as well as 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.

Pope John Paul II died in the Apostolic Palace at 9:37 p.m. on Saturday, 2 April 2005, the vigil of Sunday in albis or Divine Mercy Sunday, which he had instituted. On 8 April, his solemn funeral was celebrated in Saint Peter's Square and he was buried in the crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica. John Paul II was beatified in Saint Peter's Square on 1 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and for many years his valued collaborator as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It was announced in July of 2013 that he would be declared a saint in April of the following year.

source:

• [http://www.vatican.va/special/canonizzazione-27042014/documents/biografia_gpii_canonizzazione_en.html]

Polish movie in English about the Pope John Paul II: