Dina Maccario, Monaco’s Oldest Person, Turns 107

Dina Maccario, the oldest living person in Monaco, celebrated her 107th birthday on 29 August.

Dina Maccario was born in Italy on 29 August 1919. In her youth, a young Italian man who lived in Beausoleil spent a holiday in Italy and fell in love with Dina. Three months later, they were married. When the Second World War began in 1939, she fled Italy and took refuge in Monaco with her husband. Her village was eventually ravaged by the war. She had three children. When she first arrived, she worked in private households. She later ran a gift shop at the Wildlife Garden.

In 1963, her husband died. After several years as a widow, Dina met Fernand Maccario, a former sports champion and coach of Louis Chiron. The couple married in 1977, and Dina became a Monegasque citizen that same year.

On her 100th birthday in 2019, her entire family, including relatives who traveled from Rome, came together to celebrate with her. She was known by her friends and family as the queen of cooking gnocchi and ravioli. At the time, her family spanned five generations.

She is one of the oldest known people to have ever lived in Monaco, with only two people known to have been older: Germaine Lance (1911–2020) and Thérèse Léotard (1911–2019).

• Age: She has been the country's oldest living person since the death of Elisabet Ekenaes (who died at age 112 years and 9 days)...

John Foster, Barbados’ Oldest Man, Turns 107

John Foster, the oldest living man in Barbados, celebrated his 107th birthday in St. Andrew.

John Edward Foster was born in Belleplaine, St. Andrew, on 30 August 1919. He was educated at St. Andrew’s Boys’ School, the Alleyne School, and Harrison College. He initially worked as an apprentice druggist before a chance conversation with a friend led to a 40-year career in the public health inspectorate. His career began at the age of 20, and John worked his way through the ranks, eventually becoming Chief Inspector in St. Andrew and later in St. Michael.

At the age of 37, he married Waple, aged 30, whom he had known since childhood. Together, they had five sons.

John came from a family of politicians. His father, Darry Foster, was the first Black man to serve on the Vestry of St. Andrew. His sister, Edna Bourne, represented St. Andrew in the House of Assembly and was the first woman to be elected to the position. His brothers, David and Richard Foster, also served on the Vestry.

On 28 December 2025, following the passing of 107-year-old Joseph Ashby, he became the oldest known living man in Barbados.

LongeviQuest extends warm congratulations to John Foster on his 107th birthday

Rosa Julia Peña Hechavarría Becomes Cuba’s Oldest Resident at 111

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce that, Mrs. Rosa Julia Peña Hechavarría, aged 111, has become the oldest living person in Cuba after Mrs. Angelina Nazco Pulido passed away at the age of 111 on 15 August 2026.

Her family has informed LongeviQuest that Mrs. Peña Hechavarría remains in excellent health, a source of great joy and gratitude for her family. She will soon celebrate her 112th birthday on 23rd October, a particularly special and meaningful occasion for her family.

(on 30 August 2026)

Biography

Peña Hechavarría was born in Santa María region (now the municipality of Puerto Padre), Las Tunas province, Cuba, on 23 October 1914 to parents Feliberto Peña Jomarron and Elvira Hechavarría Agüero. She spent her childhood helping her parents and her eight siblings in the rural neighborhood where they lived, along with her aunts, uncles, and cousins. From a young age, she displayed a free and cheerful spirit: she disliked going to school and, on more than one occasion, would run away to bathe in the river or feed the farm animals, especially the chickens.

Her father, Feliberto Peña, worked in agriculture. In addition to working for others, he cultivated a small family plot where he planted corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, and other root crops. To supplement the family’s diet, he also hunted deer and fished for bonefish. Her mother, Elvira Hechavarría, took care of the household chores and the poultry, raising chickens and hens for eggs and meat. Music was an essential part of the family’s life. Several of her uncles were musicians wh played at local festivals.

In 1933, Rosa Julia and her boyfriend Rubén decided to elope during one of the town’s festivals. Rubén already owned a small house in the village of Santa María, it was there where they would begin their new life together. Rosa Julia, always hardworking, took charge of a shop, a busy business that sold everything needed for rural life: from clothing and household items to tools like hammers and machetes.

Rosa Julia Peña married Rubén Ricardo in November 1950, and they had two children—Roberto (born 1943) and Griselda (born 1949). From this marriage, the family grew up to five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.