Leo IX was originally named Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg, and was a Count in Alsace, modern-day France. He wisely demanded that his election be ratified by the church and the local Romans, ensuring himself a semi-peaceful five-year reign. His lasting legacy is probably the excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1054, who in turn excommunicated the entire Western Church - this pretty much formalized the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.