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Castro's Birth
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 in Cuba. His parents, Angel Maria Castro and Lina Ruz Gonzalez met when Angel hired then 14-year-old Lina. Angel was married and had two children when he had an affair with Lina, resulting in the birth of Castro. He weighed in at 12 pounds, and was the third of Lina's seven children. Castro's birth was significant because eventually he would grow up to be the leader of Cuba and change the course of history (Cox 30-31). -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression occured after the stock market crash on October 29, 1929. It lasted a decade and was known around the world as the worst downfall in economic history. Millions of people who invested their money lost it all. Many workers were laid off and without jobs for months, even years. In 1933, the Great Depression was at its worst and over 10 million people were without a job. This is an important event because it impacted America forever and changed millions of lives (History.com). -
Castro Attends College
On September 4, 1945, Fidel Castro began his first year at the University of Havana. Fidel's sole focus was on politics. He attended and was part of many riots and attempted to overthrow a general. Fidel Castro then graduated in 1950, and continued to study law and politics. This was an important event in his life because this is where he gained interest in the law and began his career as a politician, which shaped who he became as a person (Britannica.com). -
Becoming Partido Ortodoxo
On July 14, 1947, Fidel Castro became a member of the Partido Ortodoxo. The Partido Ortodoxo was a political group that was against communism and was created to change Cuba's government. Though the creator of this group did not win the presidential election in Cuba in 1948, he still had a lasting impact on Castro. This was a significant event that took place in Castro's life because he gained political inspiration from the founder of the group, which influenced his decisions (Biography.com). -
Attack on the Moncada Army
On July 1, 1953, Castro finally led the attack on the Moncada army that he had been planning for for months. He led over 100 men to their barracks, which were located in Santiago de Cuba. However, their thoroughly planned attack was unsuccessful. Instead, Castro was captured and sent to prison, and the majority of his men were killed. Castro was later released from prison. This event was important because it shows Fidel's thirst for power and his need to be in charge (History.com). -
Return to Cuba
In November of 1956, one year after Castro landed in Mexico following his release from prison, he and over 80 other men left the country on a ship named "Granma". As soon as they reached the coast of Cuba, they were met by the Cuban government. Castro was one of less than 20 survivors after the government attack. The survivors fled to the mountains with no weapons to defend themselves with. This event was significant because it was the start of Castro's revolution (History.com). -
Castro Takes Over
In early 1959, Castro declared himself prime minister shortly after arriving in Havana following his successful attacks against Rural Guard patrols and eventually Batista, taking away their control. This was the effect of him slowly recruiting men to join him and help fight. Their skills began to get stronger, which was a key factor in defeating the Batista. This event was a significant one because it marks the beginning of Fidel Castro's rule over the people of Cuba (History.com). -
First Object to Reach the Moon
On September 13, 1959, the first man-made object landed on the Moon. The Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission arrived on the moon, setting records. This was important to history because it helped us discover more about our moon, our solar system, and outer space. From here, many developments took place after that wouldn't have occurred if the Soviets didn't reach the moon (History.com). -
Trying to Overthrow Castro
In 1960, the United States ended relations with Cuba and forced a trade embargo on them after he tried to nationalize businesses that belonged to America. The following April, the CIA recruited over 1,000 Cubans and sent them to the Bay of Pigs in hopes of Castro being overthrown. Their hopes turned into failure after their plan backfired. Most of the recruits were either killed or captured. This is important because it shows the control Castro had over even the most powerful (History.com). -
Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 22, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis broke out. Leaders from the U.S. and Soviet Union went through a 2-week-long standoff due to the placement of nuclear missiles on Cuba, close to U.S. land. The U.S. president, John Kennedy, notified his people that he chose to have a naval blockade surrounding Cuba. Many believed this was the tip of the iceberg for a possible third world war. An agreement was eventually made that prevented the chaos another war would cause (Biography.com). -
Launch of World Wide Web
On March 1, 1989, the World Wide Web was launched. It was invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist. His first proposal of the World Wide Web wasn't accepted well, but he didn't let that stop him. Once he launched the web, it was a huge success. This is an extremely important event in world history because without the web, people wouldn't be able to find information as quickly. The World Wide Web has made searching much more efficient (webfoundation.org). -
9/11
On September 9, 2001, a suicide bomber flew into the Twin Towers buildings in New York City, New York, and a plane flew into the Pentagon. Another plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers took over instead of crashing into a building. These acts of terrorism changed the world forever. They increased safety everywhere and changed how we live our lives today (History.com). -
Hurricane Katrina
On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. and went on record as the most costly natural disaster of the U.S. It was one of the most powerful storms known to man, as the degree of damage the hurricane caused kept increasing. In total, there were around 2,000 deaths and many cities were underwater. Hurricane Katrina proved to be an important event in history because it made people learn to not take anything for granted after seeing everything leave in an instant (Britannica.com). -
Castro Gives Up Power
In August of 2006, Fidel Castro put the government in the hands of his brother Raul for the time being after going through an emergency surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding. A couple years later, he permanently stepped down from his role as President. Fidel Castro was the longest-ruling person in charge of the government in the history of the world. This is an important event because it showed what an impact he had on not only his country, but the whole world, too (NBCnews.com). -
Castro's Death
Fidel Castro died of natural causes on November 25, 2016 at 90 years old in Havana, Cuba, as stated by his brother on a television broadcast. His body was cremated and his ashes were taken on the path he took when he crossed the island after taking it over in the 1950s. His death sparked both celebration and mourning. This event was significant because it is the end of one chapter in history and the beginning of another (CNN.com).
