* 1959: Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba, overthrowing the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.
* 1960: Cuba nationalizes U.S.-owned oil refineries, prompting the United States to impose an economic embargo on Cuba.
* 1961: U.S.-backed Cuban exiles invade the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Castro. The invasion fails, further straining relations between the two countries.
1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
* The Cuban Missile Crisis occurs in October 1962, when the Soviet Union places nuclear missiles in Cuba. The United States responds with a naval blockade, and the Soviet Union eventually agrees to remove the missiles. The crisis is a major turning point in the Cold War, and it brings the United States and Cuba to the brink of war.
1963-1980: Continued Cold War Tensions
* The United States continues to impose an economic embargo on Cuba throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
* In 1975, the United States and Cuba establish diplomatic relations, but relations remain strained.
1981-1989: Reagan and Bush Years
* The Reagan administration increases pressure on Cuba, including by tightening the economic embargo.
* In 1983, U.S. forces invade Grenada, a Caribbean island that is allied with Cuba.
* In 1989, George H.W. Bush becomes president and takes a more conciliatory approach towards Cuba.
1990-2000: Clinton Years
* President Clinton continues to maintain the economic embargo on Cuba, but he also eases some travel and trade restrictions.
* In 2000, Elián González, a Cuban boy who had been rescued at sea, is returned to Cuba after a high-profile legal battle in the United States.
2001-2016: Bush and Obama Years
* The George W. Bush administration tightens the economic embargo on Cuba and restricts travel and trade further.
* In 2009, Barack Obama becomes president and begins to normalize relations with Cuba.
* In 2015, the United States and Cuba re-establish diplomatic relations.
* In 2016, Obama visits Cuba, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
2017-Present: Trump and Biden Years
* The Trump administration rolls back some of the Obama-era policies towards Cuba, including tightening the economic embargo and restricting travel and trade.
* In 2020, Joe Biden becomes president and pledges to continue the Obama administration's policies towards Cuba.
* In 2021, the Biden administration eases some restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba, but the economic embargo remains in place.