Painter, sculptor and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in Caprese, Italy on March 6, 1475. During a more than 70-year career, he won near-mythical fame as one of Europe's preeminent "Renaissance Men," and counted kings and popes among his many admirers and patrons.

Temperamental and brilliant, Michelangelo crafted several masterpieces including the "David," the "Pieta" and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. On the 540th anniversary of his birth, learn nine surprising facts about the artist often called "the Divine One."

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Source: http://www.history.com/