Gautama Siddharta, the Buddha, was born a prince in India or Nepal in 563 B.C.
Leaving behind materialism, he became a seeker for the means to release humans from suffering and the ceaseless cycle of birth and death known as samsara.
He practised austere deprivation for years until he realised that balance was the true way, the Way of the Middle Path, which Buddhism still teaches today.
Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree, remaining there until he discovered how to free himself and all men from their struggles. This was Enlightenment.