The significant event in 1959 that marked the rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba was the Cuban Revolution, which culminated in the successful overthrow of the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959. Castro, along with his revolutionary forces, including Che Guevara, led a guerrilla campaign against the Batista regime, which had been marked by corruption and repression. After Batista fled, Castro's government began implementing socialist reforms, which drastically transformed Cuba's political landscape, aligning it more closely with Soviet ideologies. This revolution led to significant geopolitical shifts in the Americas and heightened tensions during the Cold War.