Who Was Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama?

Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in the city of Lumbini around the year 485 BCE and was raised in Kapilavastu.[11][12] Moments after birth, according to the scriptures, he performed the first of several miracles, taking a few steps and proclaiming, "Supreme am I in the world. Greatest am I in the world. Noblest am I in the world. This is my last birth. Never shall I be reborn."

In the year 624 B.C. a baby was born into a royal family in northern India. He grew up in wealth and luxury but eventually found that worldly comforts and security do not guarantee happiness. He was deeply moved by the human happiness. When he was 29, he left his wife and teachers of the day to learn from them. They taught him much but none really knew the cause of human suffering and how it could be overcome. Eventually, after six years study and meditation he had an experience in which all ignorance fell away and he suddenly understood.

After discovering the Middle Way, he sat under a sacred fig tree, also known as the Bodhi tree, in the town of Bodh Gaya, India, and vowed not to rise before achieving Nirvana. At age 35, after many days of meditation, he attained his goal of becoming a Buddha. After his spiritual awakening he attracted a band of followers and instituted a monastic order. He spent the rest of his life teaching the Dharma, travelling throughout the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent.
From that day onwards, he was called the Buddha, the Awakened One. He lived for another 45 years in which time he traveled all over the northern India teaching others what he had discovered. His compassion and pathience were legendary and he had thousands of followers. In his eightieth year, old and sick, but still happy and at peace, he finally passed away.
He passed away at the age of 80 (405 BCE) in Kushinagar, India.

The Buddhist faith and way of life is a direct reflection of the doctrines and teachings of a single man. Siddhartha Gautama became better known as Guatama Buddha following his own personal bodhi, or enlightenment. He used this newly acquired knowledge to instruct others in his faith on the means to reach both bodhi and Nirvana, which is the end of all suffering.
As Buddha lived over 2,500 years ago, by most accounts, it is challenging for historians to verify independent accounts of his life, and thus most information known about the man come from the sangha and Tripikata, the texts and written accounts of the Buddhist faith.

Conception and BirthThe mythological accounts of Gautama’s conception involve a dream his mother had about an elephant with six tusks that came down from heaven and entered her womb on the right side. Following this story, Buddha was born at the exact moment his mother looked toward the heavens in the garden of Lumbini. He took seven steps in each direction of heaven while a lotus flower grew at each step, and then declared that he would not be born again, as Buddhists believe in reincarnation.
Most historical depictions of Gautama’s conception and birth show his mother dying during or shortly after childbirth, and a seer, Asita, announcing that the young price would be either a great king or a great holy man. Gautama’s father shielded his son from religion and human suffering in hopes that Gautama would indeed grow to be a great king rather than a holy man.