On this day in 1965 Pope Paul VI became the first Pope to visit the United States. He had a full day in New York. He was only there for 14 hours but visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Cardinal Francis Spellman’s home, he met with POTUS Lyndon Johnson, addressed the General Assemby of the United Nations. attended a public mass at Yankee Stadium, visited the Vatican Exhibit at the World’s Fair and then flew back to Rome. The pope was seen in person by one million and on television by another 100 million. He had to be tired at the end of that day.

Pope Paul VI would die in 1978 at the age of 80.