1959 in Cuba

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2015)

← 1958 1957 1956 1959 in Cuba → 1960 1961 1962
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	Other events of 1959 Timeline of Cuban history

The following lists events that happened during 1959 in Cuba.

• President:
  • until January 1: Fulgencio Batista
  • January 1-January 2: Anselmo Alliegro y Milá
  • January 2-January 3: Carlos Manuel Piedra
  • January 3-July 18: Manuel Urrutia Lleó
  • starting July 18: Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
• Prime Minister:
  • until January 1: Gonzalo Güell
  • January 1-February 13: José Miró Cardona
  • February 13-February 16: vacant
  • starting February 16: Fidel Castro

• January 1 - President Fulgencio Batista fled to the Dominican Republic as the forces of Fidel Castro closed in. Before leaving, Batista named Judge Carlos Manuel Piedra as provisional president. Piedra ordered a cease-fire moments after taking office.^[1] At 10:00 pm, the ships F.M. Robinson, Jack W. Wilke and the Peterson were directed to sail to Cuba to evacuate Americans if necessary.^[2]
• January 2 - As Castro's rebel forces rolled into Havana, the 32-year-old leader named Dr. Manuel Urrutia Lleo as President of Cuba.^[3]
• January 7 - Cuba's new government announced the first executions of former officials of Fulgencio Batista. Ten officers were executed at Santiago including Col. Arcadio Casillas, who oversaw Santiago.^[4] The same day, the United States recognized the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.^[5]
• January 8 - Fidel Castro was greeted by cheering crowds as he made a triumphant entry into Havana.^[6]
• 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.^[7]