John Paul I (1912-1978) was pope only from August 26 to September 28, 1978, the shortest term in modern times.

The future 262nd pope of the Roman Catholic Church was born Albino Luciani in the town of Canale d'Agordo in mountainous northeastern Italy on October 17, 1912. Unlike his predecessor Paul VI who came from a well-to-do family, Luciani's parents were very poor (his mother was a scullery maid and his father was an itinerant stonemason). In fact, his younger brother Edoardo told reporters at the time of Albino's election as pope that as children they both had had to go without shoes half the year. Albino did well in school and by the fourth grade had determined that he wanted to be a priest. He began his seminary studies at Feltre, Italy, when he was 11, studied at the major seminary at Belluno, and was ordained a priest on July 7, 1935. During the summers...