Pope Benedict XIV Succeeds Clement XII

Date: August 17, 1740 • Location: Rome, Italy

Pope Benedict XIV, previously known as Prospero Lambertini, succeeds Clement XII as the 247th Pope.

Pope Benedict XIV, born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death on 3 May 1758. His intellectualism and advocacy of science education earned him the nickname "the Enlightenment Pope".