Fidel Castro

Historical eventFebruary 161959

Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba, beginning his decades-long rule over the country.

Everything on February 16Original source

In context

When
Monday, February 16 195967 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1950s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1959.

Type: human.

What happened

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist, under his administration Cuba became a one-party communist state; industry and business were nationalized, and socialist reforms were implemented throughout society.

February 16 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Fidel Castro
  2. 19961996 Maryland train collision
  3. 1996Amtrak
  4. 1998Taoyuan International Airport
  5. 1998China Airlines Flight 676
  6. 2000Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17
  7. 2005National Hockey League
  8. 2005Kyoto Protocol
  9. 2006Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
  10. 2013February 2013 Quetta bombing
  11. 2021Kherrata

Also in 1959

  • September 13Luna 2The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
  • September 15Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
  • June 14Disneyland MonorailDisneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • August 17Miles DavisAmerican musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings o…
  • November 21Disc jockeyAmerican disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola sca…
  • November 16The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music, a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-F…
  • November 16National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967 explodes in mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 aboard.
  • March 181959 Tibetan uprisingTibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, infl…

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Fidel Castro”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/fidel-castro-1959-february-16, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Fidel Castro happen?

February 16 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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