Who was Fidel Castro ?

US President Bill Clinton announces an end to the "open door" policy on Cuban refugees, established by US President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. From now on, Cubans intercepted at sea will be repatriated, but those who reach land will be allowed to stay.

One of Castro's cows, known as Ubre Blanca (translated as White Udder), made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest milk yield by a cow in one day - 110 liters (29 U.S. gallons)

Some 125,000 Cubans immigrate to the United States. This exodus becomes known as the Mariel Boatlift.

Castro referred to this cow's extraordinary output in speeches as evidence of communism's superior breeding skills, and the cow's achievements were often printed in Cuba's government-controlled newspapers.

Castro welcomes Pope John Paul II as the pontiff begins a historic five-day visit. This marks the first time a pope has ever visited Cuba.

American historian Theodore Draper coined the term "Castroism," defining it as a blend of European socialism with the Latin American revolutionary tradition.

A statement read on Cuban TV announces that Castro is undergoing intestinal surgery and has provisionally handed over power to his brother Raul. The arrangement is expected to last for several weeks while Castro recuperates.

Castro took a great interest in gastronomy, as well as wine and whisky. As Cuban leader, he was known to wander into his kitchen to discuss cookery with his chefs.

Castro publishes his autobiography "My Life" in the United Kingdom. The book contains a series of interviews done with journalist Ignacio Ramonet. The book is released in the US in early 2008.

In the mid-1960's, Castro formed an alliance with the Soviet Union, and - in response to U.S. nuclear missiles in Turkey that he perceived as U.S. threats against Cuba – he allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons on Cuba, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis - a defining incident of the Cold War.

Due to ailing health, Castro announces his resignation as president in a letter published in the middle of the night in the online version of Cuba's state-run newspaper, Granma.

Castro was fluent in English, but he usually refused to speak it (even in public or private interviews) because he considered it to be "the language of his enemies."

In an essay, writes that Cuba would be willing to talk with US President Barack Obama's administration.

Castro met Yuri Gagarin in June 1961 in Havana, a Russian Soviet pilot and cosmonaut and the first human to journey into outer space. The photo of the two hugging became one of the most famous of Castro's pictures.

Fidel Castro had many admirers even among some of the most popular American celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford, Chevy Chase, Oliver Stone, and Kevin Costner.

- In an essay published in Cuban state media, Castro writes that he resigned as head of the Communist party when he fell ill on July 31, 2006, and never tried to resume his position.

Castro is also the author of many quotes. Some of his most famous quotes are, “Revolution is not a trail of roses. A revolution is a fight to the death between the future and the past,” and “Men do not shape destiny. Destiny produces the man for the hour.”

Castro publishes a two-volume memoir of his life, "Fidel Castro Ruz: Guerrilla of Time," based on conversations with the journalist Katiuska Blanco.

Castro changed his opinions on LGBT rights in Cuba. In the 1960's, the country's government forcibly suppressed and persecuted homosexuals and cultural dissenters with imprisonment and "reeducation." In 2010, however, Castro expressed regret over this policy. His niece, Mariela Castro, is an LGBT activist and is currently fighting for lesbian rights in Cuba.

The Cuban government steps up efforts to prove Castro is still in good health. Former Venezuelan Vice President Elias Jaua claims to have met with Castro and shows reporters a photo of the two of them together.

For most of his life, Castro preferred military style clothes and the combat look to anything else, but in his last years, he adopted a more comfortable style. He particularly grew fond of the sport brand Adidas. He wore casual Adidas jackets even at important political meetings.

A published letter purportedly written by Castro endorses the fledgling talks to restore diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States even though Castro still "doesn't trust" US policies.

Castro's best friend and closest political ally was Hugo Chavez, a controversial Venezuelan politician who served as the 64th President of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013. Chavez died in March 2013.

Cuba's state-run press publishes photos of Castro speaking with five Cuban intelligence agents recently released by the United States in a prisoner swap.

Castro addresses his mortality at the end of a three-day Cuban Communist Party Congress saying, "Soon I will turn 90 years old, never would such a thing have occurred to me and it's not the outcome of any effort; it was fate's whim, soon I will be like everyone else. To all of us comes our turn."