History Today: How after over 600 assassination attempts Cuba's Fidel Castro died of natural causes

One of the most famous leaders of the 20th century, Fidel Castro, passed away on November 25, 2016. The revolutionary leader reshaped Cuba and inspired the global leftist movement.

If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series,  History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.

On this day in 1960, the assassination of the Mirabel sisters, namely Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, took place. The sisters, collectively known as Las Mariposas (“The Butterflies”), were fierce opponents of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.

Here is all that took place on this day across the world.

Fidel Castro passed away

The revolutionary leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, passed away on this day in 2016 at the age of 90. His death marked the end of an era for Cuba, Latin America, and the global leftist movement he helped inspire.

Castro had stepped down from power in 2008 due to failing health and handed the presidency to his brother Raúl Castro. But stepping away from the presidency, even after he remained a symbolic force in Cuban politics. The country entered nine days of national mourning following the announcement of his death on state television. Public events were cancelled, music was silenced in restaurants and bars, and flags flew at half-mast as the country prepared for a series of memorials and a final funeral procession.

More from Explainers

FirstUp: PM in Ayodhya for Ram temple flag-hoisting event and other news today US’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is seeing big changes. Here’s why experts are worried

Born in 1926, Castro rose to prominence as the leader of the Cuban Revolution, overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He then established a one-party socialist state, aligning closely with the Soviet Union and playing a central role in Cold War geopolitics. Under Castro, Cuba developed universal healthcare and education systems that won international praise, but his rule was also marked by political repression, censorship, and economic hardships exacerbated by the long-standing US embargo.

Reactions to Castro’s death reflected his complex legacy. In Havana, many mourned a leader they saw as a defender of Cuban sovereignty and social welfare. Across Miami, where many Cuban exiles had fled his regime, crowds celebrated in the streets, calling him a dictator responsible for decades of suffering.

Quick Reads

View All

What’s the fake-fasting diet? And can it help you ‘age backwards’?

Inside China’s plan on ‘world-first floating artificial island’ that can resist nuclear blasts

Global leaders issued sharply contrasting statements: some hailed Castro as a champion of anti-imperialism, while others condemned his human rights record. His ashes were eventually interred in Santiago de Cuba, near the cradle of the revolution he once led.

Assassination of the Mirabal Sisters

On this day in 1960, the assassination of the Mirabal sisters is one of the most shocking and symbolic acts of political violence in Latin American history. The Mirabal sisters, namely Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, were born into a middle-class rural family but became politically active as they witnessed Trujillo’s pervasive oppression, censorship, torture, and corruption.

Minerva, the most outspoken, openly challenged the dictator, inspiring her sisters and many others to resist. Together with their husbands, the sisters joined the underground resistance group Movimiento 14 de Junio, which sought to overthrow Trujillo. Their activism made them national symbols of courage and prime targets for the regime.

On November 25, the sisters were returning from visiting their imprisoned husbands when Trujillo’s secret police intercepted their Jeep on a mountain road. The women were brutally beaten and strangled before their bodies were placed back in the vehicle, which was pushed off a cliff to stage an “accident.” But Dominicans immediately knew the truth. The brutality of the murders sparked national outrage and eroded what remained of Trujillo’s legitimacy. Within six months, the dictator himself was assassinated.

The Mirabal sisters’ martyrdom became a rallying point for human rights and feminist movements worldwide. In 1999, the United Nations designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in their honour, cementing their legacy as global symbols of resistance to tyranny and gender-based violence.

This Day, That Year

• Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1975.

• On this day in 1936, Germany and Japan formed the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union.

• Nicholas III was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1277.

With inputs from agencies