The last Pope Leo, Pope Leo Xlll, reigned for 25 years from 1878-1903. 122 years ago.
He was born on March 2, 1810, and the footage of him was taken in 1896, when he was 86 years old. The film, shot by cameraman Vittorio Calcina, shows the pope in the Vatican gardens and is believed to be some of the first footage of a person ever recorded.
Pope Leo XIII was the earliest-born person recorded on film. Born in 1810, the pope was eighty-six when these clips were captured in 1896. For reference, the Pope was born the year after Lincoln and Darwin
pic.twitter.com/UiKItIdYzF— History Calendar (@historycalendar) April 21, 2025