Havana: Key events in the life of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who turns 90 on Saturday:
Taking Over
On August 13, 1926, Castro is born in Biran, eastern Cuba, the third of seven children. He is the son of a Spanish immigrant landowner and a Cuban mother who had been the family housekeeper. Fidel, a good student, is sent to a Jesuit school in Santiago de Cuba.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he studies law and becomes politically active, moving increasingly to the left and leading a series of anti-government protests.
On July 26, 1953, he leads a failed attack on Santiago de Cuba's Moncada military barracks. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison, but is granted an amnesty two years later. Fidel then goes into exile in Mexico with his brother Raul, where he later meets Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a young Argentine doctor.
On December 2, 1956, after setting off from Mexico, Castro lands in southeastern Cuba on the ship Granma with 81 fighters and launches a 25-month military campaign against dictator Fulgencio Batista.
The Cold War
On January 1, 1959, Batista flees the country. Castro makes a victorious entry into Havana and is appointed prime minister in February.
In January 1961, the United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.
In April 1961, Castro's forces defeat 1,400 rebels in the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion.
In February 1962, US President John F Kennedy decrees an embargo on all trade with Cuba.
In October 1962, the Soviet Union ships nuclear missiles to Cuba. After a tense standoff, it agrees to withdraw them in exchange for guarantees the US will not invade the island.
In 1975, Castro sends troops to help Angolan independence fighters.
Shortages and Repression
In 1990, Cuba plunges into extreme economic difficulties as the Soviet Union collapses. The period is marked by widespread shortages. The regime survives after legalizing use of the US dollar and opening the country to tourism.
In March 2003, Castro orders the arrest of 75 opposition leaders, who receive heavy prison sentences, prompting sanctions from the European Union. In 2010, the last 52 detainees are freed.
On July 31, 2006, Castro undergoes "delicate intestinal surgery" and temporarily transfers power to brother Raul, the country's defense chief.
In February 2008, Raul Castro is named president.
On April 19, 2011, Fidel gives up his last official title, handing PCC leadership to Raul as well.
On December 17, 2014, Fidel remains out of sight as Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama announce a normalization of relations.
But in March 28, 2016, after Obama makes a historic visit to Cuba, Fidel lambasts the US president's "syrupy words" and says Cubans do not need "gifts from the empire."
On April 19, 2016, his last public appearance, Fidel attends the PCC Congress and broaches the issue of his death.
