Pope Nicholas IV

Born Girolamo Masci on 30 September 1227, he rose through the Franciscan order at a time when friars were still relative outsiders to papal power. On 22 February 1288, he became head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States, shattering the precedent that had barred his order from the throne. His reign lasted just over four years. He died on 4 April 1292, having opened a door that would remain ajar for centuries.