Fidel Castro Born in Birán

Summary

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926, in Birán in eastern Cuba. He studied at Jesuit schools and later earned a law degree at the University of Havana, where he became involved in political activism. After opposing the government of Fulgencio Batista, Castro led the July 26 Movement and a guerrilla campaign that contributed to Batista's departure from Cuba at the beginning of 1959. Castro then became the dominant leader of the new revolutionary government. His administration nationalized industries, aligned Cuba closely with the Soviet Union, established a one-party socialist state, expanded public health and education programs, and sharply restricted political opposition and independent media. Cuba became a major Cold War flashpoint during events including the Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis. Castro remained Cuba's central political figure for decades before transferring authority to his brother Raúl Castro because of declining health.