Oct. 27, 1492

Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba during his first American tour.

June 6, 1672

British capture Havana. Cuba is opened up for world trade. Colony traded to Spain for Florida less than one year later. Slave trade keeps sugarcane fields producing.

1886

Slavery abolished.

1895

War of Independence begins as Jose Marti, anti-colonialist returns from exile in the United States. Killed in battle within three months and becomes a martyr to the cause of independence.

Feb. 15, 1898

United States enters the war after USS Maine is destroyed in Havana Harbour

Dec. 10, 1898

Cuba gains independence from Spain as Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the war. Spain also loses its colonies in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines to the United States. The United States maintains military control over Cuba.

Aug. 13, 1926

Fidel Castro is born on his family's sugar plantation in Oriente province in Cuba. From a very wealthy family, young Castro spent many of his early years in Catholic boarding schools.

1945

Castro attends the University of Havana's law school and earns a degree. During his student years, Castro becomes a political activist. He is dedicated to social justice and committed to reform of government, which he views as corrupt.

1950

Castro opens a private law practice in Havana and devotes himself to helping the poor.

1952

Castro plans to run for the House of Representatives in the next election but Gen. Fulgencio Batista overthrows Cuba's government in a coup. Castro unsuccessfully challenges the new regime in court.

1953

Castro puts together a small band of revolutionaries and organizes an armed attack on the Moncada barracks in Oriente province on July 26. Half of the attackers are killed. Castro and his brother Raul are taken prisoner. Castro is sentenced to 15 years in prison, but is pardoned two years later.

1955

Castro is released from prison in a general amnesty and goes to Mexico where he organizes a small group of Cuban exiles into a fighting force. Meets Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentinian doctor dedicated to radical politics and socialist causes.

1956

Castro launches an attack on the north coast of Cuba. Most of the rebels are killed, but 800 fighters join him over the next few months. Casto's movement grows in popularity as he promises class and farming reforms and an end to Batista's corrupt government.

1958

As Castro's military campaign continues, the U.S. withdraws support for Batista and orders an arms embargo.

Jan. 1, 1959

Batista flees Cuba. Castro and his small force enter Havana and form a government. Tensions with the U.S. rise as the new Cuban government begins expropriating American-owned properties.

1960

Cuba and the Soviet Union develop close ties. Cuba buys Soviet oil; the Soviets buy Cuban sugar. The U.S. imposes an economic blockade on Cuba.

1961

The Cuban army easily turns back an invasion of 1,300 Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba are broken off.

1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis. The world comes the closest it's ever been to nuclear war after the U.S. detects Soviet missiles on Cuban territory. On Oct. 24, Russian ships carrying more nuclear weapons turn back and the Cuban missile sites are dismantled. Castro's popularity among most Cubans soars as he nationalizes hundreds of major companies, which had been previously foreign-owned. He also sets up free education and health care for all Cubans. But the upper and middle class in Cuba grow disillusioned and thousands risk their lives to escape to the U.S. rather than live in Castro's communist state.

Jan. 26-29, 1976

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visits Cuba. The trip is criticized by opposition politicians in Ottawa, who accuse him of condoning Cuban participation in the Angolan war. Trudeau later tells the House of Commons that he had been "brutally frank" with Premier Fidel Castro and had called the intervention "a serious mistake." During the talks in Cuba, Castro declares that relations between Ottawa and Havana are "better than ever."

1991

The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union throws Cuba into a domestic crisis. Economic aid ceases and the Cuban economy goes into a deep recession. Castro tries to modernize Cuba's economy by allowing some private enterprise.

Jan. 1, 1999

Castro celebrates 40 years in power.

2003

Castro is strongly criticized for human rights abuses after he jails 75 dissidents and orders the execution of three men who had tried to hijack a passenger ferry.

April 2004

UN Human Rights Commission censures Cuba over its human rights record. The resolution passes by one vote. Castro accuses Mexico and Peru of doing Washington's bidding when they vote in favour of the resolution.

May 2004

Mexico and Peru recall their ambassadors to Havana after Castro's May Day speech in which he attacked supporters of the UN resolution censuring Cuba's human rights record.

November 2004

The U.S. dollar is eliminated from circulation and is no longer legal tender in Cuba. Cubans rush to spend the American dollars they have or convert them to Cuban convertible pesos, a currency with no value outside of the country, for a 10 per cent charge.

July 31, 2006

Cuban leader Fidel Castro says he is undergoing surgery and will temporarily transfer his presidential powers to his brother, Raul.

Aug. 1

Fidel Castro says his health is stable after undergoing intestinal surgery to "stem sustained bleeding."

Aug. 13, 2006

Castro turns 80. After falling ill, he asks to postpone the festivities until Dec. 2 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Nov. 27, 2006

Castro's five-day 80th birthday bash kicks off, but he's too ill to attend.

Feb. 19, 2008

In a written statement, Castro announces that he is stepping down as president and will not accept a new term when the newly elected parliament meets later in the week.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]