Pope John Paul II Survives Assassination Attempt

As Pope John Paul II made his way around St. Peter's square in a specially designed vehicle that allowed him to get close to the public, a gunman shot him four times. Two of the bullets hit the Pope's intestine, causing him to lose nearly 75 percent of his blood and requiring six hours of surgery. The Pope survived and later forgave the would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca.