2015 Event Cuban President Raul Castro meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican as a gesture of gratitude for the pontiff's role in facilitating renewed diplomatic ties between Cuba the U.S.; Pope Francis will visit both countries in September 2015 Event U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro meet at the Summit of the Americas in Panama for talks aimed at thawing relations; the historic meeting marks the first interaction in decades between top leaders of the two nations 2015 Event New U.S. rules loosening trade restrictions with Cuba go into effect today, including permission to sell instruments, tools, equipment and supplies to private businesses; U.S. banks will also be given greater freedom to transact with Cuban banks 2014 Event The U.S. will end its 1960 embargo and reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba; the agreement took place after an exchange of three Cuban spies for aid worker Alan Gross and an unnamed American spy 2011 Event Former Cuban President Fidel Castro makes his first appearance outside of Havana since leaving office in 2006, visiting a mausoleum in Artemisa 2010 Event The European Parliament awards Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2010 Event Raul Castro, head of the Cuban government, declares they will lay off half a million state workers to improve their economy by the middle of 2011 2009 Event Cuban and Venezuelan leaders sign over $3.2 billion worth of trade and cooperation agreements 2001 Death Alberto Korda, Cuban Photographer 1997 Death Roberto Goizueta, Cuban Businessman 1994 Death Fabio Grobart, founder (Cuban Communist Party), dies 1994 Death Eliseo Diego, Cuban poet, dies at 74 1993 Birthday Elian Gonzalez, Cuban Celebrity 1992 Event Cuban Ilyushin IL-18 flight to Puerto Plata crashes, 34 die 1992 Death Titti Sotto, Cuban composer (La Esquina Habanera), dies 1992 Death Julio C Fernandez, Cuban/US journalist (founder Alma Mater), dies 1992 Death La Lupe, Cuban singer, dies of a heart attack in the Bronx at 53 1980 Event Cuban government closes Mariel Harbor ending "freedom flotilla" 1980 Event Soyuz 38 carries 2 cosmonauts (1 Cuban) to Salyut 6 space station 1980 Death Alentejo Carpentier, Cuban/French writer (Guerra del Tiempo), dies at 75 1980 Death Alejo Carpentier, Cuban Novelist 1977 Death Anais Nin, Cuban/American writer (Delta of Venus), dies at 73 1976 Death Jose Lezama Lima, Cuban poet and novelist, dies at 65 1967 Birthday Javier Sotomayor, Cuban jumper, world record 1989 1967 Death [Ernesto] Che Guevara [Serna], Arg/Cuban revolutionary, dies 1963 Death Ernesto Lecuona, Cuban composer (Malaguena), dies at 67 1963 Event Cuban premier Fidel Castro arrives in Moscow 1962 Event John F. Kennedy announces Cuban missile bases were being dismantled 1962 Event Cuban missile crisis ends, John F. Kennedy says U.S.S.R. is dismantling missile bases 1962 Event Stevenson demands U.S.S.R. ambassador Zorin answer regarding Cuban missile bases saying "I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over" 1962 Event Cuban missile crisis began as John F. Kennedy becomes aware of missiles in Cuba 1961 Event 1,400 Cuban exiles land in Bay of Pigs attempt to overthrow Castro 1959 Event Castro proclaims new Cuban constitution 1959 Event U.S. recognizes Fidel Castro's Cuban government 1959 Event Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees 1958 Birthday Mark Cuban, American Businessman 1958 Event 5-time world driving champion Juan Fangio kidnapped by Cuban rebels 1958 Event Cuban revolutionary forces capture Havana 1957 Event Cuban dictator Batista bombs Cienfuegos uprising 1951 Birthday Ned Sublette, born in Lubbock, Texas, composer, musician, musicologist, producer, guitarist, studied classical guitar with Emilio Pujol, composition with Kenneth Gaburo, Cuban music scholar, known for mixing country-western, afro-Caribbean salsa, cumbia, rumba music styles 1942 Death Jose R Capablanca, Cuban chess player (world champ 1927), dies at 53 1940 Death Alfonso Hernandez Cata, Cuban author (El parage), dies 1933 Death Enrique Jose Varona, Cuban sociologist/vice-president, dies at 84 1933 Event Coup on Cuban president De Cespedes by Fulgencio Batista 1933 Event Cuban dictator Machado y Morales flees after military coup 1932 Birthday Roberto Goizueta, Cuban Businessman 1929 Death Julio Antonio Mella, Cuban revolutionary, murdered at about 28 1928 Birthday Alberto Korda, Cuban Photographer 1928 Birthday Estelita Rodriguez, born in Cuba, actress, Cuban Fireball, Havana Rose 1927 Event Cuban chess champ, Jose Capablanca wins 33-day Grand Chess Tournie 1908 Birthday Joaquin Maria Nin-Culmell, Berlin Germany, Cuban/Spanish composer 1905 Death Jose Maria de Heredia, Cuban/French sonnet poet, dies at 62 1905 Death Maximo Gomez, Cuban general, dies at 68 1904 Birthday Alejo Carpentier, Cuban Novelist 1903 Event Cuban state of Guantanamo leased to USA 1902 Birthday Nicolas Guillen, Cuban poet, Motivos de son 1898 Event U.S. President McKinley orders blockade of Cuban harbors 1895 Death Jose J Marti y Perez, Spanish/Cuban poet (Versos sencillos), dies 1895 Event Cuban war for independence begins 1890 Event Jose Marti forms La Liga (Union of Cuban exiles) in New York City 1875 Event US-Spanish relations decline in wake of Cuban rebellion 1872 Death Benito Juarez, Cuban justice/general (battle of Acapulco), dies at 66 1849 Birthday Enrique Jose Varona, Cuban sociologist/psychologist 1844 Death Gabriel de la Concepcion Valdes, "Placido", Cuban poet, dies at 35 1809 Birthday Gabriel de la Concepcion Valdes, Placido, Cuban poet
