Fidel Castro has died. the cigar-chomping Cuban revolutionary leader and dictator who defied U.S. efforts to topple him for five decades, was 90 years old. On Friday night, President Raul Castro announced his brother's death on state television. Early on Saturday, Cuba declared nine days of national mourning. A burial ceremony will be held on Dec. 4. The bearded communist took power in a 1959 revolution. creating a one-party state and becoming a central figure in the Cold War, he ruled Cuba for 49 years with a mix of charisma and iron will. Castro antagonized 11 United States presidents. He cast a uniquely long shadow over American politics, especially in Florida, where many Cubans refugees who fled the island turned the name "Fidel" into an epithet.