MOMENTS IN HISTORY
1.c.500 BC: Taíno Culture
The Taíno people arrived from the Orinoco region of South America on the island they called Cuba. Worshipping gods of nature, this peaceful society was organized into villages led by caciques (chieftains).
2.1492: Columbus Arrives
The Genoese explorer sighted Cuba during his first voyage and renamed it Juana. In 1509, Columbus’ son Diego conquered the island and exterminated the Taínos. Conquistador Diego Velázquez founded the first town, Baracoa, in 1511.
3.1762: The English Occupy Cuba
The golden age of the Spanish colony ended when English troops seized Havana. England opened Cuba to free trade and expanded the slave trade. In 1763, Havana was returned to Spain in exchange for Florida.
Capture of Havana by the English in 1762
4.1868: Ten Years’ War
Landowner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes freed his slaves and revolted against Spanish rule. A guerrilla war ensued, in which towns were razed and the economy devastated. Later, US companies bought up Cuban sugar plantations.
5.1895: War of Independence
Exiled nationalist José Martí returned to lead the fight for independence. Though martyred in battle, his forces gained the upper hand, but were sidelined after the USS Maine was destroyed in Havana harbor. The US declared war on Spain, and invaded Cuba, occupying it.
War of Independence (1895–98)
6.1902: Independence
Following four years of US military rule, Washington granted the island its independence. A period of mostly corrupt government followed, while US corporations came to dominate the Cuban sugar-based economy. In 1906, following a revolt against president Palma, the US re-occupied the island for four years.
7.1953: Castro Attacks Moncada
Castro launched the Cuban Revolution with an audacious attack timed to coincide with carnival celebrations in Santiago. The assault failed, and 64 captured rebels were tortured to death. Fidel delivered a brilliant defense at his trial, during which he gained national sympathy.
Fidel Castro enters Havana
8.1959: Revolution Triumphs
On New Year’s Eve 1958, General Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba, and Castro delivered a victory speech in Santiago in advance of his triumphant journey to Havana. A newly formed democratic government was quickly usurped by Castro, who allied with the Soviet Union and initiated dramatic reforms.
9.1961: Bay of Pigs Invasion
CIA-trained Cuban exiles stormed ashore to assist Cuban-based counter-revolutionaries in toppling Castro. The attack was repelled, and Castro took advantage of popular sentiment against the US-inspired invasion to announce that Cuba would be socialist.
10.1991: Período Especial Begins
Thirty years of economic support ended overnight when the Soviet Union collapsed. The economy imploded, and Cubans faced extreme hardship, triggering a mass exodus to the US on flimsy rafts. Since 1994, the crisis has eased with a tourism boom helping to promote recovery.
TOP 10 NATIONAL FIGURES
1.Christopher Columbus (1451–1506)
Visionary Genoese explorer and the first European to sight Cuba on October 28, 1492.
2.Hatüey (died 1512)
Heroic Taíno chieftain who led resistance to Spanish colonial rule and was burned at the stake.
3.Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (1819–74)
The “Father of the Homeland” freed his slaves and launched the wars for independence.
4.José Martí (1853–95)
Cuba’s foremost national hero, a writer and leader martyred in battle.
5.Máximo Gómez (1836–1905)
Dominican-born general and supreme commander of the Cuban liberation army.
6.Antonio Maceo Grajales (1845–96)
Successful guerrilla leader in the independence wars, Grajales was killed in battle.
7.Calixto García (1839–98)
Second-in-command of the independence army, and liberator of many Spanish-held cities.
Calixto Garcia
8.Gerardo Machado (1871–1939)
Corrupt dictator who ruled Cuba with an iron fist between 1924 and 1933, when he was forced into exile.
9.Fulgencio Batista (1901–73)
Mulatto general who seized power in 1934 and ruled Cuba until he fled on New Year’s Eve in 1958.
10.Fidel Castro (b.1926)
Former head of state who led the Revolution. Castro held power for five decades.
