Fidel Castro's Life in Pictures II • to travel is to live

Cuba’s former president Fidel Castro, one of the world’s longest-serving and most iconic leaders, has died aged 90. Castro toppled the government in 1959, introducing a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots. He had been in power for 49 years, until he delegated his presidential duties to his brother Raul Castro in July 2006. His life in pictures through the lens of Magnum photographers.

Magnum photographers were there when he toppled the government in 1959, introducing a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots. He had been in power for 49 years, until he delegated his presidential duties to his brother Raul Castro in July 2006. From historic political moments to pitching on a baseball field, we review his life in pictures, through the lenses of the Magnum photographers who documented his life and times throughout his rule.

: CUBA. 1959. 1959. Castro giving a press conference in Havana in 1959 upon his liberation of the City. These photos were taken in January 1959 when Cuban Dictator Fulgencio BATISTA was ousted and escaped to the Dominican Republic and the Cuban rebel leader Fidel CASTRO and his partisan revolutionaries marched on Havana.Upon reaching the city as Castro was too young to become President, he designated for the appointment former lawyer Dr Manuel Urrutia.

: Havana, Cuba, 1959. © Burt Glinn | Magnum Photos

: Havana. 1959. Castro in crowd of white hats in Havana. Photos taken the first days of January 1959 when Cuban Dictator Fulgencio BATISTA was ousted and escaped to the Dominican Republic and Cuban rebel leader Fidel marched with his Revolutionary Army of 8500 partisan men and women from the mountains towards Havana. His movement was called “The 26th July Movement”, the date of the first Cuban insurrection of 1933.Castro and his men liberated Havana, in order to appoint Dr Manuel URRUTIA as President designate.

: Fidel and his rebel Army stopping along the roadside on their march to liberate Havana.

: Thousands of supporters flocked in front of the Presidential Palace in La Havana to welcome their liberator Fidel Castro and the newly appointee Dr. Manuel Urrutia (as Fidel Castro was too young to become President at the time). La Havana, Cuba. 1959.

: Days of euphoria as CASTRO and his army tries to drive through the city of Cienfuegos, on their way to liberate Havan.

: CUBA. Santa Clara. 1959. ‘Castro in progression’.

: CUBA. 1963. Havana. Speaks on reorganization of the party. He displays telegrammes of MALINOWSKI (Soviet Minister) and of MACNAMARA (US Secretary of Defense). Photographed after three hours of speaking at the Teatro Chaplin.

: CUBA. 1959. Pitching at a baseball game between the Barbudos and the National Police Department.

: Castro was not old enough to be elected the new President of Cuba. Doctor Manuel URRUTIA (A Cuban exile lawyer in NY) met Fidel in the city of Havana in front of the Presidential Palace, and was nominated as replacement to the former Dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista.

: CUBA. Havana. Chaplin Theater. Talking to the Latin American Women’s congress.

: CUBA. Santa Clara. 1959. ‘Castro enters town and delivers a speech that lasts for hours’. No photograph or digital file may be reproduced, cropped or modified (digitally or otherwise), and its caption may not be altered without prior written agreement from the photographer or a Magnum representative. Photos taken the first days of January 1959 when Cuban Dictator Fulgencio BATISTA was ousted and escaped to the Dominican Republic and Cuban rebel leader Fidel CASTRO marched with his Revolutionary Army of 8500 partisan men and women from the mountains towards Havana. His movement was called “The 26th July Movement”, the date of the first Cuban insurrection of 1933. Castro and his men liberated Havana, in order to appoint Dr Manuel URRUTIA as President designate.

: CUBA. Santa Clara. 1959. ‘On another stop Castro lifts a young admirer’.

: CUBA. Havana., 1959. In his office during the first year of his rule.

: CUBA. Inspecting Playa Giron, site of American aborted invasion of Cuba

: CUBA. 1961. On the beach at Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs), the site of the unsuccessful invasion by US-backed forces.

: 1964, Cuba. © Elliott Erwitt | Magnum Photos

: Visiting a housing project, Cuba, 1964 © Elliott Erwitt | Magnum Photos

: CUBA. Havana. 1964.

: CUBA. Havana. A clasping handshake between Cuban leader CASTRO and Yugoslavian President TITO. September 1979.

: Rene Burri 20th anniversary of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s death. Castro on TV. Santiago de Cuba. 1987. © Rene Burri | Magnum Photos

: CUBA. At a rally in Havana.1993

: SOUTH AFRICA. Pretoria. Pretoria. Foreign dignitaries attending Mandela’s inauguration as president. Fidel Castro. 1994.

: FRANCE. Paris. At the Elysee Palace. Cuban President Fidel CASTRO does some sightseeing on visit to Paris. 13th March 1995. Cuban Leader Fidel CASTRO made his first visit to France on the invitation of President Francois MITTERRAND and his wife Mme Danielle MITTERRAND.It is a three day, non State visit, Mr Mitterrand had last met Fidel Castro 21 years ago when he was head of France’s Socialist Party.Mrs Mitterrand who heads the humanitarian foundation FRANCE LIBERTE had made numerous trips to Cuba and pressed for Castro’s visit to France.It will be an opportunity for France to ask for Cuba’s return to the mainstream, further to its years of isolation by the American embargo.