Adrian IV is elected pope on December 4, 1154 following the death of Pope Anastasius IV. He was the only English person to ever hold the position and served until his death on September 1, 1159.
Pope Adrian IV was born Nicholas Breakspear in Hertfordshire, England. He played a key role in the 12th-century church. He dealt with political tensions with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and issued the bull Laudabiliter, permitting Henry II of England to invade Ireland. He died on September 1, 1159, in Anagni, province of Frosinone, Lazio.
