Before becoming the long-standing leader of Cuba, Castro was a young radical whose first major act of rebellion landed him behind bars.
The Moncada Attack (1953): Castro led a failed suicidal attack on the Moncada Barracks to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista. He was captured by the military shortly after.
The Sentence: He was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During his trial, he delivered his famous “History Will Absolve Me” speech.
Release: He served only 19 months before being released in a general amnesty, after which he fled to Mexico to plan the revolution that would succeed in 1959.