1926
13th August Birth of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz in Birán, Oriente Province (now Holguín)
1930
September Fidel enters the rural school of Birán
1932
December Fidel sent to stay at the house of the teacher Eufrasita Feliú in Santiago de Cuba
1935
January Fidel enter the Colegio de La Salle in Santiago de Cuba
1942
September Fidel enters the Jesuit Colegio de Belén in Havana
1945
June Fidel graduates from Colegio de Belén. His final school report notes, “Fidel has what it takes and will make something of himself”
4th September Fidel enrols in Law and Social Sciences at the University of Havana
1947
July-September Fidel participates in the failed Cayo Confites expedition to overthrow the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic
1948
April While attending a student congress in Bogotá, Colombia, Fidel becomes involved n the uprising known as the “bogatazo”
12th October Fidel marries Mirta Diaz-Balart and they leave for their honeymoon in New York. In 1955 they divorce
1949
1st September Fidel’s first son, “Fidelita” Castro Diaz-Balart, is born
1950
June Fidel graduates from university as Doctor of Law and qualified to practice law
1953
26th July Fidel leads failed assault on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba. Six days later he is captured
16th October At his trial Fidel makes his “History will absolve me” speech and outlines his revolutionary program. He is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment
1955
15th May Fidel and his comrades are released from prison when Batista grants an amnesty in response to popular pressure
12th June 26th July Movement founded as a clandestine organization, with Fidel as its leader
7th July With legal avenues closed in the fight against Batista, and threats against his life, Fidel leaves for exile in Mexico. Meets Che Guevara for the first time
1956
28th October Angel Castro Argiz, Fidel’s father, dies in Birán
2nd December 82 expeditionaries, led by Fidel, land on the east coast of Cuba in the yacht Granma
20th December Dispersed by the enemy, Fidel, Raul Castro, Juan Almeida, Che Guevara, Ramiro Valdes and six other guerrilla fighters meet up in the mountains and regroup in Cinco Palmas
1957
17th February New York Times journalist Herbert Matthews interviews Fidel in Sierra Maestra
28th May The rebels capture the enemy barracks of El Uvero, their first major success. Fidel later appoint Che comandante
1958
July At battle of El Jigue, Fidel personally leads rebels to victory over Batista’s army which is expelled from the Sierra Maestra
1959
1st January As his military dictatorship collapses, Batista flees Cuba. Fidel enters Santiago de Cuba and calls for general strike
8th January Following his triumphal progress through the island, Fidel enters Havana. The revolutionary government is installed, with Manuel Urutia president, Jose Miro Cardona prime minister, and Fidel head of the Armed Forces. Fidel becomes prime minister six weeks later
22nd March At a mass rally in Havana, Fidel outlaws racial discrimination and adopts measure to protect workers in the lowest paid jobs
15th April Fidel visits United States
1960
5th March At a funeral for 101 victims of a terrorist attack against Cuba, Fidel first uses the slogan, “Partria o muerte” (Homeland or death)
6th July United States declares economic war on Cuba by suspending sugar imports
6th August Nationalisation of U.S. oil refineries, sugar mills and electricity and telephone utilities
2nd September First Declaration of Havana, condemning “the exploitation of man by man and of underdeveloped countries by imperialist finance capital”
26th September Fidel addresses the United Nations General Assembly for 4 hours 29 minutes
1961
3rd January U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba and closes its embassy in Havana
16th April Following U.S-backed bombing raids on Cuba, Fidel proclaims the socialist character of the revolution
17th April After 4 days of CIA sabotage in Cuba, 1,500 U.S. trained Cuban mercenaries invade Cuba at Bay of Pigs and are defeated within 72 hours
3rd February President Kennedy orders the economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba
4th February Second Declaration of Havana: “the duty of every revolutionary is to make the revolution”
1963
27th April First visit of Fidel to Soviet Union
6th August Lina Ruz, Fidel’s mother, dies
1965
12th March Discussing the Sino-Soviet split at a meeting at the University of Havana, Fidel says, “Division in the face of the enemy was never a revolutionary or intelligent strategy”
April Che Guevara secretly leaves for the Congo
3rd October Cuban Communist Party created, with Fidel as First Secretary
1966
28th September At a ceremony on the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the CDRs, Fidel says “We will never build a communist consciousness with a dollar sign in the hearts and minds of men”
1967
9th October Che Guevara assassinated in Bolivia
1971
10th November Fidel visits Chile following victory of Salvador Allende’s Popular Unity government
1972
July Cuba becomes member of the Soviet economic bloc (CAME)
1973
5th September Fidel participates in IV summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Algiers
1975
17-22 December The first congress of the Cuban Communist Party is held and Fidel declares, “we are the privileged heirs to what other have done”
1976
15th February First Socialist Constitution approved by national referendum
6th October Cuban civilian plane destroyed by a bomb off coast of Barbados killing all 73 persons. Cuban mercenaries Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Cariles indicted in Venezuela
1979
3-9 September VI Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Havana. Fidel holds presidency for 3 years
1980
18th July Fidel visits Nicaragua for first anniversary of Sandinista victory and promises Cuba’s support against Washington’s “dirty war”
1983
25th October U.S. invades Grenada. 600 Cuban technicians imprisoned and returned to Cuba
1985
18th July At a Latin America trade union conference, Fidel says the choice is either “to pay tribute to the empire or to pay tribute to your homeland”
1986
February Fidel meets with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow
19th April Fidel launches “Rectification” campaign against bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption
1988
26th July Fidel rejects perestroika as anathema to the principles of socialism, saying “capitalism methods will never build socialism”
1989
26th July Fidel declares that the Revolution will survive even if the Soviet Union should disappear
1991
26th July ANC leader Nelson Mandela attends the Moncada anniversary celebrations and thanks Fidel for his support in the struggle against apartheid
1992
1st January Following the collapse of the USSR Fidel announces the Special Period in Peace Time. Most foreign observers predict that Cuba will also collapse
June Fidel participates in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro arguing “tomorrow is too late” to address environmental problems
July Fidel participates in the II Iberomerican Summit in Madrid and stresses need for solidarity among the peoples of the continent. He visits his father’s birthplace in Lancara, Lugo province
3rd September In a speech in Cienfuegos, Fidel acknowledges Cuba is facing a severe economic crisis, having lost 70% of its purchasing power
3rd October U.S. Congress approves the “Cuba Democracy Act” extending the economic blockade against Cuba to third countries
24th November The U.N General Assembly approves for the first time a Cuban resolution opposing the U.S economic blockade with a vote of 59 to 3
1994
May Fidel attends inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa
1995
October At a speech at the United Nations, Fidel condemns the fact that 20 million people die each year of curable diseases and that the arms race continues although the Cold War is over
1996
5th March U.S. Congress passes Helms-Burton Law threatening foreign investment in Cuba
1997
17th October Che Guevara’s remains, discovered in Bolivia, laid to rest in Santa Clara, Cuba
1998
21-25 January Pope John Paul II visits Cuba
6th May Nobel prize-winning author Gabrial Garcia Marquez takes a message from Fidel to President Clinton providing information about the activities of counterrevolutionary terrorist groups based in the U.S.
12th September Miami Five arrested on espionage charges, having infiltrated exile organisations in order to avert terrorist attacks against Cuba
1999
17th January First visit of Hugo Chavez to Cuba as Venezuela’s head of state
2000
September Fidel speaks with U.S. President Clinton at U.N Millennium Summit in New York
26-30 October Fidel visits Caracas and signs oil and medical agreements with Hugo Chavez
2002
April Fidel plays crucial role in Hugo Chavez’s victory over attempted coup in Venezuela
2003
26th May Fidel attends inauguration of Nestor Kirchner as president of Argentina
2004
1st January Fidel launches a Battle of Ideas
20th October Fidel breaks his arm and fractures his knee in a fall
14th December Fidel and Hugo Chavez establish in Havana the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) in opposition to U.S. free trade plans
2005
17th November Fidel warns that corruption and generalised theft could undermine the Revolution
30th December Fidel received Evo Morales, president election of Bolivia, in Havana
2006
1st August In a statement read on television by his “assistant” Fidel announces that he had to undergo surgery and temporarily delegates his leadership roles to his brother Raul
2007
28th March Fidel writes his first column for Granma since his illness, “Reflections of Comandante Fidel”
2008
18th February Fidel announces he will no longer accept positions of President and Commander-in-Chief at National Assembly. Raul becomes permanent successor
2009
1st January Cuba celebrates the 50th anniversary of the revolution
2010
July Fidel makes first public appearance in years to greet workers at science centre
2011
April Fidel makes emotional return at 6th Congress of the Communist Party. Received by a standing ovation, he officially resigns his position on the Central Committee
