Ten Words from "NY Times" History: Castro Takes Power

On New Year's Day 1959, New York Times readers woke to learn of a communist takeover in Cuba. In the context of Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union and an escalating arms race, this communist incursion into the Western Hemisphere was big news. Four years later, the threat of Soviet missiles being launched from Cuba was nearly realized during the 14-day Cuban Missile Crisis.

Learn the vocabulary that defined that moment with Ten Words from New York Times History - Castro Takes Power - Jan. 1, 1959. Then see "Vocabulary Begets Vocabulary: The More You Know, the More You Learn" to understand why learning these words will help you absorb even more as you read.

Social Studies teachers: Looking for more words from current and historical news stories? Check out our collection of news-based vocabulary lists or page through the historical documents and speeches categories in our featured lists.