Castro Steps Down Without Tripping

Fidel Castro is our most-covered celebrity. He's the Paris Hilton of health updates, the Britney Spears of, well, maybe that's not the best celebrity to compare to. But boy does Castro know how to stay in the spotlight.

Fidel Castro resigned as president and commander-in-chief of Cuba, after almost 50 years as the country's leader, the official daily Granma said.

Castro, 81, the world's longest serving president, seized power in Cuba almost a half-century ago promising liberty and economic justice only to turn the Caribbean island into a communist bastion and a flashpoint of the Cold War.

Although there is no indication that his resignation stemmed directly from a new bout with illness, Castro for several years now has seen his health deteriorate. In the summer of 2006 he stepped down temporarily, yet still maintained some control over the government while working with his brother, Raul, the interim leader.

He's been in power for so long that three out of four Cubans have never lived under a different ruler. During the time Castro was in power, nine different presidents served for the United States.

[Bloomberg]