On this day in 1959, the rebel army of the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed Batista dictatorship.After 5 and a half years of fighting, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and their fellow revolutionaries seized control from the brutal and corrupt regime of Fulgencio Batista, which had allowed for the US to dominate the island.The revolution was an important defeat for US imperialism and became an enduring symbol of resistance against colonialism and capitalism around the world.Here are full-color images of the early days and years of the Cuban Revolution.