Fidel Castro Overthrew Cuban Dictator Batista in 1959

Today in Latin American history, Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, was overthrown by Fidel Castro’s forces during the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

Batista fled Cuba to the Dominican Republic with a personal fortune of more than $300 million that he had amassed through graft and payoffs.

This event was a part of Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement.

Other events that occurred on this day:

Today in LatAm history, the present-day location of Rio de Janeiro was first explored by the Portuguese in 1502

Today in LatAm history, Porfirio Díaz conquered Mexico City in 1861

Today in LatAm history, the Cristero War which was the mass popular uprising and attempted counter-revolution against the anti-Catholicism of the ruling Mexican government began in Mexico in 1927

Today in LatAm history, Dominican baseball player Fernando Tatis who played for the New York Mets was born in 1975

Today in LatAm history, Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1982

Today in LatAm history, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas in 1994