Born in 1926, Castro led the Cuban revolution during the 1950s. After ousting president Fulgencio Batista in 1959, he took control of the nation, introducing a one-party regime. Castro ruled Cuba for almost 50 years, and is perhaps best remembered for his confrontational relationship with the US, which culminated in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. He formally stepped down from his presidency in 2008. He died in November 2016 at the age of 90.

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Fidel Castro in 1953
Fidel Castro in 1953. He was arrested following an unsuccessful raid on Moncada army barracks, in an attempt to seize weapons and spark an uprising. (Ullstein Bild/Getty Images)
Cuban president Fulgencio Batista
Gesturing animatedly with his outstretched arm, Cuban president Fulgencio Batista addresses a crowd from the balcony of the presidential palace in 1957. After his government was toppled by Castro's troops in 1959, Batista fled the country. (Getty Images)
Castro cheering with troops, in a shot from a 1957 television programme
Castro cheering with troops, in a shot from a 1957 television programme. (Getty Images)
A truck filled with Cuban men rides through a narrow Havana street in 1959
A truck filled with Cuban men rides through a narrow Havana street in 1959, after the Cuban revolution and Castro's overthrow of Batista. (Getty Images)
Fidel Castro holds up a newspaper headlining the discovery of a plot to kill him
Seeming amused, Fidel Castro holds up a newspaper headlining the discovery of a plot to kill him, during a trip to New York in 1959. Earlier in the day, when asked about a reported assassination attempt, Castro had replied, "I sleep well and don't worry at all". (Getty Images)
Castro's troops at Playa de Citron
Castro's troops at Playa de Citron after the abortive 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. (AFP/Getty Images)
Castro with guerilla leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara during the 1960s
Castro with guerilla leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara during the 1960s. (AFP/Getty Images)
The Cuban missile crisis
The Cuban missile crisis: On 22 October 1962, US president John F Kennedy announces on television the strategic blockade of Cuba. (Keystone/Getty Images)
Fidel Castro declares general mobilisation
On 29 October 1962, Castro declares general mobilisation after the announcement of a Cuba blockade by Kennedy. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images)
People attend a rally to honour Fidel Castro
People attend a rally to honour Castro at a Moscow sports stadium in 1963. (OFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev
Castro holds the hand of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in May 1963, during an official visit to Moscow. (AFP/Getty Images)
Anti-Castro protesters
Angry anti-Castro protesters wave placards and miniature Cuban flags during a demonstration. (Getty)
Castro addresses crowds in Santiago de Cuba, 1998. (Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photography/Getty Images)
Castro addresses crowds in Santiago de Cuba, 1998. (Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photography/Getty Images)
Fidel Castro
After stepping down from the Cuban presidency in 2008, Fidel Castro attends the final session of the 6th Cuban Communist Party Congress, on 19 April 2011. (Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images)
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