Fidel Castro: A Cuban communist revolutionary who governed Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 then as President from 1976 to 2008. His administration turned Cuba into a one-party socialist state.
Cuban Missile Crisis: A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962 over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. It is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war.
Embargo against Cuba: An economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba since 1958. It has affected Cuban economy and relations with other countries.