Fidel Castro was the Cuban revolutionary leader and former Prime Minister and President of Cuba. He was born in 1926 and led the Cuban Revolution from 1953 to 1959, overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. He then served as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and President from 1976 to 2008. He was a major figure in the Cold War and is remembered for his socialist policies and his close relationship with the Soviet Union.