The papacy has been through a lot in its multi-millennial history. Since St. Peter became the first pope shortly after the dawn of the common era, the leader of the Catholic Church has influenced major global events and clashed with kings and scientists alike, all while overseeing the workings of the church and leading a worldwide community of the faithful.

As Pope Francis makes his first visit to the United States, landing in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, here’s a timeline of the pope throughout the ages.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.