Who Was Alive

Were John Paul II and Barack Obama alive at the same time?

Yes. John Paul II and Barack Obama were alive at the same time for 43 years, from 1961 to 2005.

John Paul II was 41 when Barack Obama was born.

Barack Obama was 43 when John Paul II died, aged 84.

John Paul II

Pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, author

Born 18 May 1920 · died 2 April 2005, aged 84

Barack Obama

44th President of the United States

Born 4 August 1961 · living, 65 as of September 2026

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Adolf Hitler
  3. Ronald Reagan
  4. Nelson Mandela
  5. John Paul II
  6. Donald Trump
  7. Vladimir Putin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Barack Obama
John Paul II and Barack Obama in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.