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| 1959, Jan. 1 |
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| After Castro's capture of Santa Clara, capital of Las Villas Province (Dec. 31, 1958), Pres. Batista resigned and fled, taking most of the treasury with him. Two days later, Castro's forces took Havana. | 1 |
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| Jan. 5 |
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| Manuel Urrutia, named provisional president by Castro (Jan. 3), named José Miro Cardona premier, and the following day announced rule by decree for 18 months. The U.S. recognized the new regime on Jan. 7. | 2 |
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| Feb. 16 |
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| Castro took office as premier because of the sudden resignation of Miro Cardona and his cabinet. Following his takeover, he proclaimed the Fundamental Law of the Republic, which concentrated power in the executive. | 3 |
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| April |
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| Castro introduced the first wave of major reforms, including wage hikes and rent cuts. | 4 |
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| April 15 |
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| Castro arrived in Washington, D.C., for an unofficial visit. On April 17 he declared that his regime was not Communist and characterized his revolution as “humanistic.” | 5 |
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| June 4 |
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| An agrarian reform law was promulgated, providing for appropriation (with remuneration) of large landholdings. U.S. sugar companies, expecting to lose 1,666,000 acres, responded by demanding full and prompt payment in cash. | 6 |
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| July 17 |
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| Pres. Urrutia resigned in a dispute with Premier Castro over growing Communist influence in the government. Osvaldo Dórticos Torrado took over the presidency. | 7 |
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| Oct |
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| Maj. Huber Matos, revolutionary leader and virulent anti-Communist, was arrested for treason. His trial, which resulted in a 20-year prison sentence on little evidence, indicated the direction of the revolution. This occurred as Castro was moving toward an alliance with the PSP, as well as assuming an increasingly nationalist stance vis-à-vis the U.S. Right-wingers and moderates were pushed out of the government and the unions. | 8 |
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| Nov. 3 |
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| The U.S. State Department declared it would not tolerate the establishment, by anti-Castro Cuban refugees, of an exiled, provisional government in the U.S. | 9 |
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