Fidel Castro

Eighty-two-year-old Fidel Castro resigned as president and commander in chief of Cuba on 19 February 2008. It's one year by now after his resignation. To refresh, here we take a look at the charismatic Castro's political life in pics…

Picture taken in the early 60's of the Cuban Revolution leaders, Fidel Castro (R), prime minister of the Cuban Revolutionary government and Che Guevara, minister of industry, during a popular meeting in Havana.

Fidel Castro addresses delegates of the General Assembly of the United Nations in a four-hour long speech, 26 September 1960.

President Fidel Castro and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, during his visit to the island in November 1974.

ANC president Nelson Mandela and Cuban leader Fidel Castro in July 1991.

Fidel Castro points at Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting during his visit of the Louvre museum with former socialist culture minister Jack Lang, 14 March 1995.

Fidel Castro yawns during US President Bill Clinton's address to the United Nations, during the first day of the three-day celebration of the UN's 50th Anniversary, 22 October 1995.

Pope John Paul II and Cuban President Fidel Castro pose for photographers during their historic meeting at the Vatican, 19 November 1996.

Fidel Castro jokes around with South African President Nelson Mandela at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the GATT Agreement, 19 May 1998.

The wax figure of Cuban President Fidel Castro gets final touches by hair and colour artist Sylvie Vincent at Madame Tussaud's in London, 13 August 1999.

Former US president Jimmy Carter (R) throws the first pitch in a baseball game beside Fidel Castro in Havana. Carter made a bold push for democratic opening in communist Cuba, urging Castro to let the UN human rights chief visit and calling attention to an unprecedented dissident bid for political change, 14 May 2002.

The image of Fidel Castro appears in the viewfinder of a camera in Ciego de Avila during a speech to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the raid on the Moncada Garrison, 26 July 2002.

Fidel Castro chats with his South Africa's counterpart Thabo Mbeki during the inauguration of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil, 1 January 2003.

Fidel Castro addresses the nation on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the revolution, 3 January 2004.

Fidel Castro is helped by his bodyguards after he fell at the end of a speech at a ceremony in Santa Clara, 20 October 2004. Castro fractured his left knee and also had a light fracture in his right arm, but laughed off the accident, assuring Cubans that he remained in good spirits and in one piece.

Fidel Castro and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez chat during the opening ceremony of the XV Book Fair in Havana, 3 February 2006. Cuba and Venezuela said they would oppose moves to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over an atomic programme the West fears could be hiding weapons development.

Pictures of Fidel Castro ranging from his early childhood to present day. Castro, Latin America's sole surviving communist strongman, ceded power on 1 August 2006, to his brother Raul on a temporary basis for the first time in 47 years after undergoing what he called delicate intestinal surgery.

Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro hasn't been seen in public in months.

One of the first pictures of Cuban leader Fidel Castro taken after his gasterointestinal surgery. The Cuban leader, who turned 80 in August 2006, appeared alert and in good spirits and displayed no discernible weight loss.

"I neither will aspire to nor will I accept — I repeat — I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief". Castro (82) announced his resignation almost 19 months after a severe illness caused him to hand power temporarily over to his brother Raul Castro.