The following lists events that happened during

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

: ** until January 1:

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

** January 1-January 2:

Anselmo Alliegro y Milá Anselmo Alliegro y Milá (March 16, 1899 – November 22, 1961) was a Cuban politician who served as the Interim President of Cuba for one day (1 – 2 January 1959) after the departure of the President, General Fulgencio Batista, from the country. ...

** January 2-January 3: Carlos Manuel Piedra ** January 3-July 18:

Manuel Urrutia Lleó Manuel Urrutia Lleó (December 8, 1901 – 5 July 1981) was a liberal Cuban lawyer and politician. He campaigned against the Gerardo Machado government and the second presidency of Fulgencio Batista during the 1950s, before serving as president ...

** starting July 18:

Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (17 April 1919 – 23 June 1983) was a Cuban politician who served as the president of Cuba from 1959 to 1976. He was a close ally of Cuban revolutionary and longtime leader Fidel Castro. Background Dorticós was born ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

: ** until January 1:

Gonzalo Güell Gonzalo Güell y Morales de los Ríos (February 16, 1895, in Havana, Cuba – September 2, 1985, in Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.) was a Cuban lawyer and a career diplomat (1919–1959). Career Guell was Foreign Minister of Cuba from 1956 to 19 ...

** January 1-February 13:

José Miró Cardona José Miró Cardona (22 August 1902 – 10 August 1974) was a Cuban politician. He served as Prime Minister for a period of some six weeks in early 1959, following his appointment by President Manuel Urrutia on 5 January 1959. On 13 February ...

** February 13-February 16: vacant ** starting February 16:

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

Events

January

* January 1 - President

fled to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

as the forces of

closed in. Before leaving, Batista named Judge Carlos Manuel Piedra as provisional president. Piedra ordered a cease-fire moments after taking office. At , the ships ''F.M. Robinson'', ''Jack W. Wilke'' and the ''Peterson'' were directed to sail to Cuba to evacuate Americans if necessary. * January 2 - As Castro's rebel forces rolled into

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, the 32-year-old leader named Dr. Manuel Urrutia Lleo as President of Cuba. * January 7 - Cuba's new government announced the first executions of former officials of

. Ten officers were executed at

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

including Col. Arcadio Casillas, who oversaw Santiago. The same day, the United States recognized the new Cuban government of

. * January 8 - Fidel Castro was greeted by cheering crowds as he made a triumphant entry into Havana. * January 12 - In the largest mass execution of former officials since Castro's victory, Cuban communists shot 71 supporters of Fulgencio Batista over a seven-hour period, then buried them in a mass grave."Cuba Rebels Shoot 71 at Mass Grave", Oakland ''Tribune'', January 12, 1959, p1

References

{{North America topic, 1959 in 1950s in Cuba Years of the 20th century in Cuba