Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia

Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (March 10, 1900 – June 9, 1970) was the president of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944.

Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
Calderón Guardia 1940 cropped.jpg
President of Costa Rica
In office
8 May 1940 – 8 May 1944
Preceded byLeón Cortés Castro
Succeeded byTeodoro Picado Michalski
Personal details
Born(1900-03-10)10 March 1900
San José
Died09 June 1970
San José
Political partyRepublicano Nacional (during term)
National Unification Party (beginning in 1966)

Early life

Calderón was born on 10 March 1900 in San José. In his youth, Calderón studied in Costa Rica, France and Belgium, where he married Yvonne Clays Spoelders, who was later the first female diplomat of Costa Rica. After finishing his studies, Calderón became a practicing surgeon, which he would remain for most of his early career.