1939 papal conclave
Following the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February 1939, all 62 cardinals of the Catholic Church met in the 1939 papal conclave on 1 March. The next day, on the third ballot, they elected Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, who was Camerlengo and Secretary of State, as pope. He accepted and took the name "Pius XII". It was his 63rd birthday.