When was Pope Francis elected?

Pope Francis was elected to head the Catholic Church on March 13, 2013. His election followed five rounds of balloting by the conclave of gathered cardinals that began the day prior. The election was called after the resignation of the then-current pope, Benedict XVI, on Feb. 28, 2013.

Pope Francis was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was ordained as a Catholic priest at the age of 33 after spending his early adulthood working as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer. He was promoted to the position of Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II three years later.