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Fidel Castro leads his "26th of July Movement" to attack the Moncada Barracks. With his 135 men opposing the Batista government, the attack was a failure, and Fidel Castro was captured.
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Castro states his speech entitled, "History Will Absolve Me". He then is givin amnesty and leaves for Mexico.
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Castro leaves mexico (on the yacht Granam), and has a rough landing on eastern Cuba. With his survivors, they reach the Sierra Maestra mountains and launch guerrilla warfafre against the Batista Dictatorship.
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Fulgencio Batista resigns and flees from Cuba. Castro leads his troops into Havana.
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Castro in in power from 1959-2008.
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Fidel Castro visits the United States, denies he is a communist and claims Cuba will not confiscate foreigner's properties. Promises good U.S. relations along with free elections.
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Cuban exiles trained by the CIA land at the Bay of Pigs, and lose. Fidel Castro declares the revolution socialist and says there will not be any elections.
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Fidel Castro declares he is a Marxist-Leninist and always has been.
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Castro sends out about 18,000 soldiers to Angola
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In the face of reforms by Mikhail Gorbachev, Castro maintains the ideological purity of the revolution. (Within the Marxist-Leninist orthodoxy.)
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Castro announces that U.S. currency will be allowed to circulate in Cuba. (Restrictions lifted on exile visits.)
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Castro falls after a speech in Santa Clara, shattering his kneecap.
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Castro at the age of 79, suffers an "intestinal crises" that requires surgery. He teporarily cedes most of his titles to his brother Raul Castro.
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Fidel Castro retires and says he will not seek re-election.