About José María Castro Madriz
José María Castro Madriz (1 September 1818 – 4 April 1892) was a Costa Rican intellectual and statesman who served as President of Costa Rica from 1847 to 1849 and from 1866 to 1868. Inaugurated at age 29, he was the youngest person to ever serve as President of Costa Rica. Over a public career spanning more than four decades, he held numerous offices of state and became the first person to preside over all three branches of the Costa Rican government. He was indirectly elected president in 1847 and served until 1849 when he resigned under the threat of a coup. He was indirectly president again in 1866 and served 1868 when again he resigned under military pressure. Ideologically a liberal, Castro was a strong believer in the principles of the Enlightenment and in freedom of the press. He pushed for reforms to strengthen democracy in Costa Rica. He was also a member of Freemasonry. Throughout his career, he advocated the abolition of the death penalty, antimilitarism, and free compulsory education. On both occasions, Castro was prevented from completing his presidential term as a result of military coups. During his first presidency, on 31 August 1848, he proclaimed Costa Rica a sovereign republic, formally ending its remaining ties to the defunct Federal Republic of Central America. He also adopted the national tricolour flag designed by his wife, Pacífica Fernández.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.