FIDEL

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 (although some say he was born a year later), near Birán in Cuba's eastern Oriente province. His father, Angel, was a wealthy landowner originally from Spain. His mother, Lina, had been a maid to Angel's first wife.One of five children, Castro was educated in Jesuit schools. He grew up in wealthy circumstances amid poverty. A peasant rebellion in Oriente during Castro's formative years is thought to have influenced his political leanings. Castro offered free legal services to the poor after earning a law degree from the University of Havana.In 1952, at the age of 25, Castro ran for the Cuban parliament. But just before the election, the government was overthrown by Fulgencio Batista, who established a dictatorship.Castro was one of about 150 fighters who attempted to overthrow Batista in 1953. An attack on a military barracks landed Castro in prison, but made him famous throughout Cuba.Castro was released in 1955 under an amnesty. He went to Mexico and spent time in the United States, working with his brother Raul and Argentine revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara to prepare for second attempt to overthrow Batista. Castro returned to Cuba on December 2, 1956, by boat with a band of 81 insurgents. Most of were killed. The survivors, including the Castros and Guevara, fled into the Sierra Maestra Mountains along the southeastern coast. There, they mounted a full-scale attack in 1958, forcing Batista to flee the country in January 1959. Castro became prime minister. The United States quickly recognized the new Cuban government, but tensions arose when Fidel Castro, as prime minister, set about far-reaching reforms. He nationalized factories and plantations, ending U.S. economic dominance of the island. He also began to establish closer ties with the Soviet Union.