Costa Rican Man Celebrates His 111th Birthday
First reported March 14, 2011 · Updated October 28, 2026
SANTA ANA, Costa Rica, March 14, 2011. A resident of the elder-care home in Piedades de Santa Ana has marked his 111th birthday, attracting attention for his advanced age and his participation in the home’s daily life. The man, known affectionately as Chepito, is identified in subsequent Costa Rican reporting as José Uriel de los Ángeles Delgado Corrales.
Chepito’s reported birth date was March 10, 1900. That means his 111th birthday fell on March 10, 2011, four days before the date of this news report. The original short account referred to a Sunday celebration, but later published identity records support March 10 as his birthday. The distinction matters when reconstructing the chronology of his life.
Chepito lived at the Hogar de Ancianos de Piedades de Santa Ana, a residential institution for older adults west of central San José. The original account described him as a cheerful participant who enjoyed smiling and dancing. It also stated that he had lived at the home since the mid-1990s, having arrived when his health and personal circumstances required support.
A familiar face at the Santa Ana home
In subsequent years, Chepito became a recognizable figure in national coverage of Costa Rica’s oldest residents. Reports repeatedly described birthday celebrations held with fellow residents, caregivers and staff. His longevity drew interest not just because of the number of years attributed to him, but because residents and caregivers described his daily routines and the social relationships he maintained.
At that age, independent age validation is particularly important. Costa Rican media cited the country’s Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, or TSE, for Chepito’s registered date of birth. In 2018, CRHoy reported that the TSE recorded his birthday as March 10, 1900.
A civil registry entry is useful documentation, but it is not necessarily the same as the extensive record verification required by organizations that certify global longevity records. Reports of his extraordinary age should therefore be attributed to Costa Rican records and the institutions that relied on them, rather than converted automatically into an internationally certified supercentenarian record.
What makes this story different from the Blue Zone narrative?
Costa Rica is internationally known for the exceptional longevity associated with parts of the Nicoya Peninsula. Chepito’s case, however, was centered in Piedades de Santa Ana, not Nicoya. His life should not be presented as evidence that he was part of a Nicoya Blue Zone population, or that a specific local diet or environmental condition explains his lifespan.
Individual stories of long life can nevertheless contribute to broader discussions about aging in Costa Rica. They show how families, care facilities and communities recognize older people, and why public interest often extends beyond formal demographic studies. Chepito’s birthday celebrations were important to the people around him regardless of whether his age met every outside certification standard.
What happened next
Chepito continued to appear in Costa Rican news reports for another decade. In 2018, La Nación reported that he was recovering after surgery and was recorded as 118 years old. He died on May 27, 2021. Both La Nación and Teletica reported that the Santa Ana care home confirmed his death. He was reported to be 121, based on his registered birth date.
Questions and answers
Who was Chepito? José Uriel de los Ángeles Delgado Corrales, a longtime resident of an elder-care home in Piedades de Santa Ana.
When was his 111th birthday? March 10, 2011, based on the registered date of birth reported by Costa Rican media.
When did he die? May 27, 2021, according to reports quoting the care home.