Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Laura Chinchilla

Role / Field:

Costa Rican political scientist and politician, first woman President of Costa Rica.

Born:

1959-03-28

Century / Era:

1959s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Laura Chinchilla Miranda (Spanish: [ˈlawɾa tʃinˈtʃiʝa miˈɾanda]; born 28 March 1959) is a Costa Rican political scientist and politician who served as President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. She was one of Óscar Arias Sánchez's two Vice-Presidents and his administration's Minister of Justice. She was the governing PLN candidate for president in the 2010 general election, where she won with 46.76% of the vote on 7 February. She was the eighth woman president of a Latin American country and the first woman to become President of Costa Rica.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She was sworn in as President of Costa Rica on 8 May 2010. After leaving office, she taught at Georgetown University in 2016. Chinchilla is co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank and the vice-president of Club de Madrid. Chinchilla previously served as a Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service. Laura Chinchilla was born in the Desamparados district of San José, the oldest child of her family with three younger brothers.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her father is Rafael Ángel Chinchilla Fallas, who served as comptroller of Costa Rica from 1972 to 1987, and maintained general popularity among the public. Her mother is Emilce...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Flexner — Contemporary (Died in 1959) (1959): Pioneering American educator known for reforming US and Canadian medical and higher education.
• Ahlam Mosteghanemi — Contemporary (Born in 1959) (1959): Pioneering Algerian poet and novelist, celebrated for her evocative Arabic literature.
• Allison Janney — Contemporary (Born in 1959) (1959): Acclaimed American actress known for roles in The West Wing and Masters of Sex.
• Alexander Grothendieck — Shared historical date (03-28 · Born) (1928): Pioneering figure in modern algebraic geometry and category theory.
• Amancio Ortega — Shared historical date (03-28 · Born) (1936): Founder of Inditex and pioneer of the fast fashion industry.
• Anil Kapoor — Historical peer (Born in 1959) (1959): Veteran Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi cinema.
• Ante Pavelić — Historical peer (Died in 1959) (1959): Croatian politician and dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)
• Alexander McQueen — Historical peer (Died in 2010) (2010): Iconic British fashion designer known for theatrical, boundary-pushing collections.
• Ali Hassan al-Majid — Historical peer (Died in 2010) (2010): Notorious Iraqi military figure, cousin of Saddam Hussein, known for brutal repression.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• 1959 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1959
• March 28 (03-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 28

Frequently Asked Questions about Laura Chinchilla