1959. The official opening of the Bacunayagua Bridge is carried out.

This bridge built on the Via Blanca constituted the limit between the provinces of Havana and the province of Matanzas.

Currently it separates the provinces of Matanzas and Mayabeque.

Considered one of the seven wonders of Cuban engineering, it is 313.50 meters long.

It is the longest bridge in Cuba with 103.50 meters above the river level.

1976. Dr. Raimundo Lazo y Baryolo dies in Havana.

Doctor in Civil Law and in Philosophy and Letters he was Professor of Spanish Grammar, Essayist and Literary Critic.

He made numerous trips in which he visited various countries, and participated in various Congresses.

Because of his confrontational attitude towards the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, he had to leave the country.

When the Revolution triumphed, he returned to Cuba and served as the first ambassador and permanent delegate of the Revolutionary Government to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

He collaborated with several universities as well as with national and international publications.

His birth took place in the city of Camagüey on March 11, 1904.

1993. Commander in Chief Fidel Castro delivers a speech at the Jesús Garay theater in Guanabacoa at the closing of the IV Congress of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR).

In one part of his speech he stated: “I am only telling you that the Revolution has to be more intelligent than imperialism, more intelligent than its enemies and that it must foresee each one of the things that they can do, each one of the things that they do and why they do them, with what objectives and how to combat them. One of the main objectives is to divide, that is why it is so important to unite, maintain cohesion and discipline in the ranks because, of course, the imperialist strategy is to crack the ranks of the people, promote internal conflicts and find in this a justification for the military intervention in our country.

“No one would know what disastrous consequences this would have, because naturally we are going to fight, and we are going to fight beyond what anyone can imagine. We are going to fight against mercenaries, against expeditions and against imperialist invasions and whatever. And life is teaching them that it is not so easy to take over a country and crush it.”

2008. Cuban writer Alberto Yánez dies.

Graduated from Plastic Arts at the National Academy of Fine Arts in San Alejandro in 1977, he later concluded his studies in Hispano-American Literature at the University of Havana.

He was a short story writer, novelist, poet and screenwriter. He created numerous works for children. He wrote scripts for radio and television. He was a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.

He founded and named the Treasure of Paper Children's Pavilion of the International Book Fair of Havana to which he also wrote his anthem.

His birth took place in the Cuban capital on December 15, 1957.

2009. The filmmaker and researcher Vicente González Castro dies in Havana.

He was a Doctor in Pedagogical Sciences, Full Professor, as well as Director of television programs, Screenwriter and Researcher and also a great connoisseur of audiovisual media.

His investigations were directed to the theory and methodology of the use of television in the teaching media system of Higher Education, and in general to the theoretical and methodological bases of the various teaching media.

For his professional work he received multiple awards and distinctions

His birth took place in the town of Regla, Havana, on January 24, 1948.