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Born
Ernesto "Che" Guevara was born to Celia de la Serna y Llosa and Ernesto Guevara Lynch in Rosario, Argentina. He was the eldest of five children. -
Health Problems (first asthma attack)
At 2 years old a young Che begins having crippling bouts with acute asthma. These will continue to affect him until death. -
A Good Start
At age 12 Che becomes increaseingly interested and fascinated with reading and writing. he enjoyed writing poems and reading works from H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert Frost, and especially Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. This would later give him his ideas for becoming a Marxist. -
A Hunger for Knowledge
Che enters the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. -
Trek 1
Che embarks on a 2,800 mile solo ride through Northern Argentina on a bike which he installed a small motor on. -
Trek 2
Che begins a 9 month 5,000 mile continental motorcycle trek through most of South America accompanied by friend Alberto Granado -
Graduation
Upon returning from his long journey, Che returned to the university and graduated with a medical degree offically making him "Dr. Ernesto Che Guevara". -
A New Ally
Guevara established contact with Fidel Castro from a group of Cuban exiles through the July 26 attacks on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. It was during this time that Ernesto earned his famous nickname, "Che". -
Thoughts of Revolution
In a letter to his aunt, Guevara writes " I will not rest until all the capitalist octopuses have been vanquished". In this letter his main target is starting a revolution in the United Fruit Company, but the government steps in before Che became to involved. -
The Overthrow
After a shipment of Skoda light-artillery weapons are shipped from communist Czechoslovakia to the Arbenz government and American C.I.A. sponsored an army which invaded and installed right-wing dictatorship. President Jacobo Arbenz fled the country and went to Mexico. -
Taking Up Arms
A shipment of "Skoda" infantry and light-artillery weapons are sent from Communist Czechoslovakia for the Arbenez government. It was then that the U.S. C.I.A. sponsored an army that invaded the country and installed a right-wing dictatorship. Che wanting to get involved, eventually abandons his duty to return to medical. -
Face to Face
Che is introduced to Raul Castro and then subsequently to his older brother Fidel Castro. This is the first time they meet in person. Fidel planned the July 26 Movement and was planning to try and overthrow Fulgencio Batista the Cuban dictator. -
The Realization
Che and Hilda Gadea after fleeing Guatemala, get married in Mexico in early September. It was at this time that Guevara conceived the idea that Marxism achieved through armed struggle and defended by an armed populace was the only way to rectify such conditions. -
Training
After offically joining forces with Castro, Che; planned on becoming the groups combat medic. He participated in military training along with the rest of the group, a key portion of which was "guerrilla warfare" tactics lead by General Alberto Bayo. This is where Guevara excelled more than anywhere else. -
The Final Transition
Castros first step in the plan towards revolution was an assault on Cuba from Mexico by way of boat. Attacked by Batista's military soon after landing, many of the 82 men were killed in the attack, or executed upon capture, only 22 found each other afterwards. Guevara wrote that it was during this bloodshed that he laid down his medical supplies and pick up a weapon, turning him into a full fledged combatant. -
Second in Command
With his small rag-tag group of soldiers Che continues his guerrilla tactics throughout Sierra Maestra. It is when Guevara and Castro regroup that Che is promoted to Comondante and is in charge of the Second army. -
The Final Win
Outnumbered 10:1 Che and his "suicide squad" in the final days of December; attacked and conquered the city of Santa Clara, this was the last decisive victory of the revolution. -
On the Money
Che is appointed President of the National Bank of Cuba. It is during this time that he gives his famous signature of "che" on all the bills signifying his disgust with money and greed. -
Farewell
In early 1965, Guevara gives Fidel Castro his "Farewell letter" and heads to Congo to begin guerrilla operations. -
Bolivia
Che relocates clandestinely to Bolivia. -
Captured
In the cover of night darkness, Bolivian Special Forces encircle and invade Guevaras encampment with 1,800 men. Che is wounded twice before captured. -
Death
Bolivian President Rene Barrientos ordered the execution of Guevara. At 1 p.m. Bolivian Sergeant Mario Teran entered the hut in which Guevara was being held. Teran shot Guevara 5 times in the legs, once in the right shoulder and arm, once in the chest, and finally once in the throat. Ernesto "Che" Guevara was declared dead at 1:10 pm... his final words were "I know you've come to kill me. Shoot you coward! You are only going to kill a man."
