History of Cubans in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 26, 2026

Cubans are the citizens and nationals of Cuba, a country with a diverse population primarily speaking Spanish. A significant Cuban diaspora exists, with many tracing their ancestry to Cuba but not necessarily holding citizenship. The United States hosts the largest Cuban population outside of Cuba itself.

1900: Spanish migration

Between 1900 and 1930, close to a million Spaniards migrated to Cuba.

1902: Migration from the Iberian Peninsula

After the founding of the republic in 1902, a considerable migration (over 1 million) arrived from the Iberian Peninsula to the island.

1902: Spanish colony ending

Cuba remained a Spanish colony until 1902 apart from a brief occupation by Britain in 1762, before being returned in exchange for Florida.

1902: Cuba gains formal independence

In 1902 Cuba gained formal independence following the Spanish-American War.

1902: Formal independence of Cuba

In 1902, Cuba gained formal independence, marking the end of a period of American influence and initiating the formation of a national identity.

1930: Spanish migration

Between 1900 and 1930, close to a million Spaniards migrated to Cuba.

1936: Spanish Civil War

In December 2008, Spain began accepting citizenship applications from the descendants of people who went into exile after its brutal 1936-39 Civil War, part of a 2007 law meant to address the painful legacy of the conflict.

1955: Spanish Civil War

In December 2011, under the Historical Memory Law, descendants had until this date to present themselves at the Spanish embassy and turn in documentation that proves their parents or grandparents fled Spain between 1936 and 1955.

1959: Fulgencio Batista ousted

In 1959, de facto leader Fulgencio Batista was ousted by revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro.

1959: Cuban Revolution

In 1959, the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro, transformed Cuba's political landscape, reinforcing a sense of national identity centered around revolutionary and socialist ideals and leading to the Cuban Diaspora.

April 1960: Miguel Díaz-Canel born

Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel y Bermúdez was born on April 20, 1960.

1961: Cuban population increase

Around 1961, Cuba's overall population began increasing from around 7 million to 11 million today.

1976: Fidel Castro as President

From 1976, Fidel Castro acted as President of the Council of State.

1995: Mt-DNA lineages population study

A 1995 study done on the population of Pinar del Río, found that 50% of the Mt-DNA lineages (female lineages) could be traced back to Europeans, 46% to Africans and 3% to Americans.

2002: East Asian Origins in Cuba

In the 2002 Census of Cuba, Cubans of East Asian origins, officially called amarilla (yellow in English), made up 1.02% of the population.

2006: Cuba's Birth Rate and Population Decline

In 2006, Cuba's birth rate was one of the lowest in the Western Hemisphere, and the government reported the first drop in population since the Mariel boatlift.

2007: Historical Memory Law

In December 2008, Spain began accepting citizenship applications from the descendants of people who went into exile after its 1936-39 Civil War, part of a 2007 law meant to address the painful legacy of the conflict.

December 2008: Spain accepting citizenship applications

In December 2008, Spain began accepting citizenship applications from the descendants of people who went into exile after its 1936-39 Civil War.

2008: Geographical origin study

According to another study in 2008, regarding the geographical origin attributed to each mtDNA haplogroup, 55% of the sequences found in Cubans are of West Eurasian origin and 45% of African origin.

2008: Castro steps down

In 2008, Fidel Castro stepped down from power.

2009: Detection of autochthonous lineages

According to Fregel et al. in 2009, the detection of autochthonous male E-M81 and female U6 lineages from the Canaries in Cuba and Iberoamerica, demonstrates that Canary Islanders with indigenous Guanche ancestors actively participated in the American colonization.

December 2011: Deadline for citizenship applications

2011: Raúl Castro succeeds Fidel Castro

In 2011, Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.

2012: Cuban Population

In 2012, the population of Cuba was 11,167,325 inhabitants, with the largest urban populations found in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Camagüey, Santa Clara, and Guantánamo.

2012: Self-identification in Cuban census

In the 2012 Census of Cuba, 26.6% (2.97 million) of the Cubans self-identified as mulatto or mestizo.

2012: 2012 Census of Cuba

In the 2012 Census of Cuba, 64.1% of the inhabitants self-identified as white.

2012: Afro-Cuban population in 2012

The Afro-Cuban population was 9.3% in the 2012 Census of Cuba, with about 1.3 million Cubans describing themselves as black.

2014: Autosomal DNA study

An autosomal study from 2014 found the genetic ancestry in Cuba to be 72% European, 20% African and 8% Amerindian.

2014: Genetic ancestry in self-reported "negro (Black)"

Based on genetic testing in 2014, the average African, European and Native American ancestry in those self-reporting to be "negro (Black)" was 65.5% "African", 29% "European" ancestry and 5.5% "Native American" or other ancestry.

2014: Genetic testing in Cuba

Based on genetic testing in Cuba in 2014, the average European, African and Native American ancestry in those auto-reporting to be white were 86%, 6.7%, and 7.8%.

2015: Cuban-born Residents Naturalized

As of 2015, 68% of Cuban-born residents of the United States have naturalized, automatically losing their Cuban citizenship.

2017: Cuban populations in Florida

In 2017, 995,439 Cubans lived in the state of Florida.

2018: Native American ancestry contribution study

According to a 2018 genome-wide data study, the eastern region of the island had an average Native American ancestry contribution of 10%, as compared to an average of 5% in the rest of the island.

January 1, 2019: Cubans with Spanish citizenship

As of January 1, 2019, there were 143,048 Cubans with Spanish citizenship in Cuba and 93,004 in Spain.

2019: Cubans in Spain

As of 2019, there were 151,423 Cubans in Spain, marking the second largest Cuban diaspora.

2021: First non-Castro leader

In 2021, Miguel Díaz-Canel succeeds the brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro as First Secretary of the Communist Party, making him the first non-Castro leader of Cuba since the revolution.